Mature Age
Dean of Students – Information Sheet
Jubilee – Mature Age Students
The Jubilee Scheme was established in 1992 to mark the Silver Jubilee of Macquarie University. The Scheme provides a quota controlled entrance to the University for selected students aged over 21 years who wish to enrol in the BA, BSc or the BEd (Early Childhood). Jubilee is an access scheme but once you are enrolled in the University the same rules and conditions apply to you as to any other student. There is certainly no need to identify yourself as a Jubilee student as if you were in some way different from other students.
In your first year of study not all disciplines are available to you. However, you may like all other students at Macquarie apply to transfer to a different degree or enter restricted disciplines such as Psychology or Accounting based on your performance at Macquarie. The Handbook of Undergraduate Studies and the Student Enquiry Service, (Lincoln Building, Level 1) can provide you with more information about transferring between degrees at Macquarie.
You need to give some consideration to why you have decided to undertake a University degree. As part of our selection process you have written an essay about this topic so you have already given this some thought.
Consider the following questions:
- Why am I coming to uni?
- What areas of knowledge am I interested in?
- What are my strengths and weaknesses?
- How long do I want to be here?
- Should I study full or part time?
Please consider your first year study load seriously. Start slowly, you haven't been to university before and you probably haven't studied for a long time.
Think about your other commitments
What are the constraints on your time? In general - family, emotional, financial, medical, employment, partners, children, aged parents, work commitments, some leisure time, eating, sleeping and travelling time to university. Also important to consider are personal events, for example, pregnancy, child's wedding, birth of a grandchild, moving house, overseas trip. Consider all these possibilities and keep your study load low. Start off with one or two units. There is always tension if you over commit yourself. If you do find yourself in this situation drop some units. Remember if you drop first half and full year units before 30 March you will have no academic or financial penalty.
You may well be advised to start your studies slowly. I know that there is for some of you, some urgency to get a degree and into or back to the workforce. You can change from part time to full time any semester. Your attendance status is dependent on the number of credit points you enrol in each semester. To be classed as a full time student you will need to enrol in at least 17 credit points..
You need to keep a balance in your lives. Remember going to your classes is just a small part of your commitment to successful study. You will need to set aside time for research in the Library, reading, writing assignments and for examination preparation. As a general guide the University expects you to allow 12 hours each week to successfully complete a 3 credit point unit (ie. 4 hours work for each credit point including class contact time).
The first few weeks may well lull you into a false sense of security. Often there aren't assignments due until Week 4 or Week 5 of a semester. However this is when astute organised students get ahead with their reading, photocopy material they need for the first round of assignments, rather than leave it until closer to the due date when Library materials are in greater demand.
How do you decide which units to do?
For some of you your programs of study will be set out for you. These programs have core units eg BEd (EC) while others have a mixture of core, option and elective units (BA DipEd). In other programs such as the BA and the BSc you have a lot of choice. In the Undergraduate Handbook you will find numerous study patterns.
University services to support you
There is a Learning Skills Counsellor with special responsibility for conducting study skills sessions for Jubilee students. Brochures are available for these popular sessions from Support Services, located in the Lincoln Building on Level 2. Book in early for these group sessions. You can also obtain help with essay writing and numeracy skills. Look in the front section of the Handbook of Undergraduate Studies or visit Student Central, C5C 244.