5 Things Mature-Aged Students Can Just Go Ahead And Not Do
Sometimes, the stereotype is just too real.
We’ve all had classes with the classic mature-aged student. At the start of every sem, you can easily identify them: they’re sitting smack-bang at the front of the class and, well, their older. Obvs.
While some mature-aged students are harmless, there are some that can make tutorials and lectures a long, drawn-out hell. If they can just stop doing the following, that’d be great.
Arguing With The Tutor
OK, there’s nothing wrong with a bit of a lively debate — the tutors encourage that — but when there’s a mature-aged student telling a tutor they’re wrong about a subject they specialise in, that’s when we all groan internally. Sit down MAS, you can’t expect to win this one.
Asking A Question When It’s T-Minus One Minute Till The End Of Class
It’s not a simple question either, it’s more along the lines of, “I have just one question, which actually has five parts that relates to everything we learned about today.” Of course, the tutor will oblige and re-explain, but you can also see their eye twitch as they’re just as eager to leave as the rest of us.
Adding Comic Sans To The Powerpoint Presentation
I’m half-joking about this one, but I have seen it happen. I do feel bad – it would be hard if you don’t know technology as well as a generation that grew up with it. But we all still hope that we don’t get stuck with a mature-aged group assignment member who doesn’t know how to open Microsoft Office.
Making The Rest Of Us Look Bad
You’ve got to hand it to them: they might have full-time jobs, kids, and more adult responsibilities outside of uni, yet they still manage to do all the readings when you don’t. They definitely won’t hide the fact they did all the extra optional readings as well, something you have never once attempted. At least they take the attention away from you when the tutor asks the class a question — they always have it covered.
Any Story That Starts With “Back In My Day…”
Sometimes it’s a harmless, short anecdote. But more often, it’s long-winded and not quite apparent how it links to the class content in any way. Even worse if it’s the condescending “Thing were better in my day” or passing major judgement on the way things are done by this “younger generation”. Watch your words MAS, you are surrounded.
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