Added on Thursday 5 Apr 2007

When I sat the exam in January for Film Studies, I really was very nervous about it as I thought retrieval of knowledge would be too slow to answer the questions. I need not have worried as I wrote continually for two hours and just did not seem to run out of things to say. I actually was awarded a B grade but more importantly I enjoyed the exam and writing on a subject I was passionate about.

After a little break, it was in to the second semester and TV Studies. I have to be truthful and say I am not enjoying it as much as film but it is very interesting and informative. As I rarely watched TV, I have had to spend some quiet evenings at home telly watching, purely in the interests of academic study. One of the screenings on the course was the first episode of Coronation Street and it was quite nostalgic for me as I had seen it when it was first televised a long time ago!

I have managed to put together the essay this semester and I am certainly more proficient on the computer now. Part of the problem of learning in later life is the fear of the technology. One of the advantages of being a matriculated student at the University is the wide range of support available from counselling on essay writing to courses on computing. I have the further support of Disabled Student Services with access to a centre in the library offering computing, scanning and printing facilities in a user friendly environment.

I have mentioned in previous articles the Mature Students Association in Oakfield Avenue. It is an excellent facility available all the time for a small membership subscription. It not only offers study and computing facilities but the opportunity to make friends with like minded students and share experiences and gossip about university life over a cup of tea. It is a valuable resource and every wave of new students brings about further improvements to the facility. This month we have installed WiFi and have various other improvements in the pipeline.

I would like to see more mature students like myself coming to study part time just for enjoyment and more importantly I would like to see the University of Glasgow having a positive strategy to target mature people as potential part time students in the future. Applications for part time degree study can be made at any time until September but popular subjects may require an earlier application so now is the time to book an appointment with the Adviser of Studies for your chosen Faculty specifically on part time study.

Term starts again next week and I have the essay grading and the exam in late May to look forward

Further information:Studying at Glasgow University