Further Education as a Mature Student
Discussion
Given the other thread in this forum about AI Eduction, I've posted this here since it's related.
I'm 49, previously was a director of an IT consulting company, but when the CEO wanted to retire, we sold the company.
This created an opportunity for me to do something I'd been thinking about for some time, to go back to university and refocus my career looking at machine learning and control theory solving real world problems.
I've been back learning 6 months now and I'm generally working alongside individuals half my age. I remember when I was the youngster working alongside mature students the first time round - I was a bit of a dick then, I am pleased to say the young students I'm working with now are generally really cool. My first semester module results have also been OK - still waiting on a bunch, but so far, nothing really to complain about. All good so far.
BUT.
I seem to have forgotten how to learn! Not having been in the education for 30 years, I find myself really struggling with things I am sure I used to find easy:
Concentrating - at all - I should be doing a model based reinforcement tutorial right now - but instead this pistonheads post is more interesting
Words actually going in. I can read a sentence, write notes down about it and then think "I have no idea what this means". I know what it says, but what does it mean! I can read a paper and read all the words, but I get through much of if going "so".
And as far as actual learning goes, I am definately a "Holist" - I learn top down, I need to see the big picture and then I can slot the details into the relevant places in the big picture. However, many tutorials, courses, even the ones I noted on the other thread - they teach stuff, but until I can relate to WHY this is useful and HOW to apply it, it just feels like "noise".
Combined, these 3 have made the first semester a pretty rough ride and I need to improve - professionally I was pretty good, but then I knew the subjects really well. In subjects I don't know and am learning - it's rough. Was learning always like this, and I've just forgotten, or have I forgotten how to learn?
And primarily - what can I do to improve this? I'm doing OK, but I am not at the level (I think) I was at, nor at the level I want to be at. But one benefit of being older is I don't mind acknowledging stuff I'm crap at and trying to do something about it.
TIA.
I'm 49, previously was a director of an IT consulting company, but when the CEO wanted to retire, we sold the company.
This created an opportunity for me to do something I'd been thinking about for some time, to go back to university and refocus my career looking at machine learning and control theory solving real world problems.
I've been back learning 6 months now and I'm generally working alongside individuals half my age. I remember when I was the youngster working alongside mature students the first time round - I was a bit of a dick then, I am pleased to say the young students I'm working with now are generally really cool. My first semester module results have also been OK - still waiting on a bunch, but so far, nothing really to complain about. All good so far.
BUT.
I seem to have forgotten how to learn! Not having been in the education for 30 years, I find myself really struggling with things I am sure I used to find easy:
Concentrating - at all - I should be doing a model based reinforcement tutorial right now - but instead this pistonheads post is more interesting
Words actually going in. I can read a sentence, write notes down about it and then think "I have no idea what this means". I know what it says, but what does it mean! I can read a paper and read all the words, but I get through much of if going "so".
And as far as actual learning goes, I am definately a "Holist" - I learn top down, I need to see the big picture and then I can slot the details into the relevant places in the big picture. However, many tutorials, courses, even the ones I noted on the other thread - they teach stuff, but until I can relate to WHY this is useful and HOW to apply it, it just feels like "noise".
Combined, these 3 have made the first semester a pretty rough ride and I need to improve - professionally I was pretty good, but then I knew the subjects really well. In subjects I don't know and am learning - it's rough. Was learning always like this, and I've just forgotten, or have I forgotten how to learn?
And primarily - what can I do to improve this? I'm doing OK, but I am not at the level (I think) I was at, nor at the level I want to be at. But one benefit of being older is I don't mind acknowledging stuff I'm crap at and trying to do something about it.
TIA.
Arnold Cunningham said:
Concentrating - at all - I should be doing a model based reinforcement tutorial right now - but instead this pistonheads post is more interesting
Words actually going in. I can read a sentence, write notes down about it and then think "I have no idea what this means". I know what it says, but what does it mean! I can read a paper and read all the words, but I get through much of if going "so".
And as far as actual learning goes, I am definately a "Holist" - I learn top down, I need to see the big picture and then I can slot the details into the relevant places in the big picture. However, many tutorials, courses, even the ones I noted on the other thread - they teach stuff, but until I can relate to WHY this is useful and HOW to apply it, it just feels like "noise".
Be more disciplined, cut yourself off from distractions, ask more questions and explore around the subject.Words actually going in. I can read a sentence, write notes down about it and then think "I have no idea what this means". I know what it says, but what does it mean! I can read a paper and read all the words, but I get through much of if going "so".
And as far as actual learning goes, I am definately a "Holist" - I learn top down, I need to see the big picture and then I can slot the details into the relevant places in the big picture. However, many tutorials, courses, even the ones I noted on the other thread - they teach stuff, but until I can relate to WHY this is useful and HOW to apply it, it just feels like "noise".
ETA: ex-mature student, likely to be again soon.
Are you finding the material interesting? For me that would be the biggest factor in how well I learnt it.
I still remember A Level pure maths at school, we had a terrible teacher, I didn't enjoy the subject and had a similar experience of it just going past me somehow. It all got a bit better with a different teacher, but still not easy.
As an adult I would have to really LOVE any subject in order to learn it in an academic environment, because as you say, there's plenty of other things to do instead.
I still remember A Level pure maths at school, we had a terrible teacher, I didn't enjoy the subject and had a similar experience of it just going past me somehow. It all got a bit better with a different teacher, but still not easy.
As an adult I would have to really LOVE any subject in order to learn it in an academic environment, because as you say, there's plenty of other things to do instead.
Edited by outnumbered on Thursday 23 January 18:57
LooneyTunes said:
Be more disciplined, cut yourself off from distractions, ask more questions and explore around the subject.
ETA: ex-mature student, likely to be again soon.
This. Treat it like a 9-5 job, remove distractions. ETA: ex-mature student, likely to be again soon.
I went to uni as a mature student after working for a few years and it was the best advice I ever got from the head of department.
These days many topics and methods will also be on youtube.
Don't hesitate to list out some queries and ask to talk with the lecturer (or sometimes they have doctoral/post doc students that are happy to spare some time)
Also look at past papers for exams as lecturers are lazy
Gassing Station | Computers, Gadgets & Stuff | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff