Expert Advice Needed - York Uni

[CharlesF]

This forum is better than Wikipedia, there is always someone knowledgeable out there.

In my case....

My daughter has applied to study Linguistics at York Uni and at 24 she is considered a mature student. On her interview day, she was dismayed to see only very young students, no-one approaching her venerable age.
So, two questions, are there mature students at York, if so where do they hang out? And, where would you recommend a mature student stays?

 

[Globalti]

Hello Charles, are you Nigerian? If so may I congratulate your compatriot Mr Soyinka on his outspoken views on fundamentalism in Britain. Not far from my home is a Deobandi Islamic college; Deobandis are somewhat to the far right of Saudi Arabia's Wahhabis and Pakistani friends of mine were shocked when I told them we had this college in our midst. Still, you can't fault us for our principles, eh?

To York: my sister read sociology there under Laurie Taylor, she was very happy on the out-of-town campus. I'm sure the college allocates a certain number of rooms to mature students, your daughter need not worry.

 

[Arch]

Well, I was 30 when I came to York... Most of my friends, with a couple of notable exceptions, were also mature students...

We went to pubs. There's a pub for every taste in York, and a few to spare. Some reckon it's better than for the young 'uns, as there is less in the way of clubs - I wouldn't know, I've never liked clubbing.... Out of our class of about 30, (archaeology), I think 7 or 8 were mature (in age terms - there was the occasion three of them tried to wheel me down the road on a wheely bin...)

The campus is a 15-20 min walk (or much less on a bike) from the middle of town, so the whole of York is within reach, if you're based on campus, plenty of scope for going out.

Will she be getting uni accommodation at first? Several of us were placed in a flat owned by the Uni, rather than on campus, although our department wasn't campus based, so that might have been part of the reason. Even if she's on campus, there will be other mature students about - I don't think the college blocks are limited by subject. But I never lived on campus, so I can't really say.

If she's looking to live off campus in privately rented accommodation, there is loads - York is well supplied with terraced houses ideal for students to share (this assumes she has people to share with, of course). Southbank is very popular, and a nice area, as are the Fulford Road, Heslington Road and Lawrence street areas.

It may be that her interview day doesn't represent the true demographic on her course - anyone showing people round will be a volunteer, possibly on the promise of free biscuits, so all the mature ones might have been off in the library...

And 24 isn't that old (although I know it makes a difference). I mixed well enough with the kiddies, at department social stuff, and at the same time made longer lasting friends among the other mature ones. And being a mature student is a great advantage - once you've lived a bit, you appreciate just how lucky you are to be doing something you've really chosen to do, as opposed to just going along with what you think people expect of you....

I love York - it's a nicely sized city, compact, but because of the tourists, it has loads of shops and stuff going on, festivals etc. But 15 mins on a bike in any direction and you're in the countryside.

 

[fossyant]

24 isn't old, she'll find loads of other folk her age - big mixed bunch of folk at Uni.

 

[thomas]

Can't speak for York, but at UEA we've got a Grad's bar, which is for over 21s (graduates & mature students). I guess that there are a lot of mature students....but tbh, I've never really been in there.

 

[Globalti]

I expect she'll go cycling with Arch....

 

[marinyork]

She'll be fine. Anyway you have a PM CharlesF.

Some bits of Campus is quite a bit more than 15 minutes walk from the middle of town but don't let this minor disagreement put you off, it's a lot better than getting the very expensive bus and a very pleasant walk into town. Some other routes into town are even nicer still.

 

[Gromit]

I was a year older than your daughter when I went to York Uni, met up with a bunch of returning students in their 3rd year after they had done a year out in industry. I had an absolutely fantastic time. As expected for a first year student.

Some of my best friends now were only 18 at the time and I didn't notice any major difference hanging out with them as opposed to people of my own age. You have to go to University with an open mind and be willing to accept people for who they are.
You get to mix with people of all ages.

At 25 lots of people thought I was 18 anyway and were quite shocked when I told them how old I was. That was about 11 years ago now and I still haven't changed that much.

You can never judge a persons age just by looking at them, I find it completely impossible to do it even now.

My second experience now at 35 is lot different, I feel I'm missing out on a lot of stuff because I living off campus, however I'm getting better marks on my assignments this time round. Again like the archaeology course I did with Arch at York Uni there is a mix bag of people, young and mature students.

 

[Arch]

She'll be fine. Anyway you have a PM CharlesF.

Some bits of Campus is quite a bit more than 15 minutes walk from the middle of town but don't let this minor disagreement put you off, it's a lot better than getting the very expensive bus and a very pleasant walk into town. Some other routes into town are even nicer still.

Ah, if you're on the far side, you walk faster...

Fair enough, I usually cycle it so I wasn't sure...

But as you say, there are some nice routes.

 

[CharlesF]

Hello Charles, are you Nigerian? If so may I congratulate your compatriot Mr Soyinka on his outspoken views on fundamentalism in Britain. Not far from my home is a Deobandi Islamic college; Deobandis are somewhat to the far right of Saudi Arabia's Wahhabis and Pakistani friends of mine were shocked when I told them we had this college in our midst. Still, you can't fault us for our principles, eh?

To York: my sister read sociology there under Laurie Taylor, she was very happy on the out-of-town campus. I'm sure the college allocates a certain number of rooms to mature students, your daughter need not worry.

No, Globalti, NOT a Nigerian.

A proud Rhodesian, sadly our country was sold down the river by Mrs T and is now that hellhole Zimbabwe.

 

[CharlesF]

Thanks everyone for the replies, the suggestions of where to live are encouraging.

 

[Globalti]

No, Globalti, NOT a Nigerian.

A proud Rhodesian, sadly our country was sold down the river by Mrs T and is now that hellhole Zimbabwe.

Excuse my ignorance, the Nigerian flag is the same green and white and their coat of arms looks similar, though I admit I've never seen the two together.

 

[wafflycat]

Can't speak for York, but at UEA we've got a Grad's bar, which is for over 21s (graduates & mature students). I guess that there are a lot of mature students....but tbh, I've never really been in there.

I have. Frequently.

 

[CharlesF]

Excuse my ignorance, the Nigerian flag is the same green and white and their coat of arms looks similar, though I admit I've never seen the two together.

No problem, independent Rhodesia was a short-lived dream, their own flag only flew from 1968 to 1979, previously was this:

 

[Guthrum]

Just one word of caution from me - I lived on campus a few years ago, and York did have a habit of attempting social engineering by putting one older student in a flat full of 18 year olds. Some people seemed to do really well with that, but it drove others mad - there was always an accomodation request form though, so your daughter can just put on that if she wants to be with other mature(ish) students.

There's plenty of mature students at York, maybe they're just a little more discreet. That being said, I think I know Arch.