Seasoned Students By David Williams (he/him)
Mature students on campus aren’t uncommon. However, each possess different motivations for returning to study. David Williams recounts his own experiences, alongside two others, on why they’re back at AUT.
One surprising outcome of a closed
I have always loved the news. I follow it
border for tertiary education providers
religiously. So, I finally decided to channel
has been the surge in domestic student
a passion for current affairs with a desire
enrolments. AUT, so far, has experienced
to make a difference in a fractured world
an increase of nearly 1,000 domestic full
into studying journalism and becoming
time equivalent students. Chancellor
a reporter.
Derek McCormack says “To date, 2021 international equivalent full-time students are 750 less than last year and domestic international equivalent full-time students are 900 more than last year.”
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Digital Media student Hannah wanted a challenge that pushed her into studying something creative. She completed her undergraduate in psychology and statistics and wound up working in a
What is driving this upsurge in domestic
field unrelated to either of those topics.
student enrolment? Newsroom suggests
After four years of working in that
a combination of factors. Ben Leonard
field, however, Hannah was left feeling
writes “what makes this boom different
stagnant and uninspired.
from those of past downturns is a combination of border restrictions,
“I decided to return to postgraduate
government ‘fees-free’ programmes
studies out of a personal desire to learn,
and changes to university entrance
develop and find a pathway that I’m
requirements.”2
passionate about.”
Everyone has their own reasons to study
Amy summed it up in four words: “it’s
and what interested me were the students
boring at home.”
returning to university life. I had a full-time job at a museum before
Being a mother of a seven year old boy, she studies part time, with the rest of her
enrolling at AUT. There was a wonderfully
week taken up by work and childcare.
diverse staff and I encountered visitors
Amy notes that she had always intended
from around the world every day. I loved
to return to study. After being convinced
it. But, in the past 18 months museum
during a conversation with an AUT
visitations have halved. We were operating
lecturer on a beach in Tāwharanui, she
on skeletal staff and thus I lost the
began in 2019. Initially, returning worked
passion for my work.
out very well.
“To date, 2021 international equivalent full-time students are 750 less than last year and domestic international equivalent full-time students are 900 more than last year.” “Study is more flexible than a full-time job, I was doing something I was interested in, and I was upskilling.” Returning to study is an exciting opportunity but it can also be accompanied by anxieties, whether economic, social or educational. I admit, I was nervous to start again. Although that sentiment is perfectly natural when undertaking something as huge as studying, it didn’t stop the nerves. What worried me the most was starting again in my 30s. Almost every day, the insidious thought ran through my mind of “you’re too old to do this. Nobody is going to want to hire a 35-year-old journalism graduate." Amy, 41, was worried that she was going to be the old person in the room. “Yeah, totally. I am 20 years older than some of
1 https://www.debatemag.com/single-post/more-students-less-money-pandemic-exposes-funding-fault-lines 2 https://www.newsroom.co.nz/whats-driving-our-tertiary-education-boom
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