Monday 19-02-2018 - 12:03

Simon Bate, Acting President of Durham's Mature Students Association, tells us about the association's relaunch events.

Durham University has among its student population a fair amount of mature students. According to the last three available reports on admissions cycles, Durham has taken on just under two thousand each year making up approximately seven percent of the undergraduate population. 

However, for all that there are more than enough of us to build a community within a community, at the moment there is very little recourse for us to do just that. Approaching random people and saying "Hey, you look old. We should hang out some time" is an endeavour fraught with danger, and the fact many of us have mercifully withstood the ravages of time only augments the problem. Nevertheless, there is a necessity for a focal point for mature students and with necessity being the mother of invention, we have decided to reinvent Durham's Mature Students Association – MATSA.

MATSA aims to connect, support and represent our members during their time at university. The group is extremely diverse, including people of all ages, levels of study and nationalities, and from many walks of life. What we all have in common is the hope to transform our lives through education, a sense that our needs as students are slightly outside the norm, and a desire to belong.

Our ethos is open-minded and inclusive. Whether you are a mature student living in, a young liver-out, or a busy, local parent; whether you're joining Foundation or finishing your PhD, you are very welcome. We understand that older students often struggle to integrate their existing commitments with their university life; consequently we aim to open many of our events to families and partners of our members.

We will be holding regular socials and events for our members and as mature students are not a monolith, these events will be facilitated to reflect the multifarious nature of our body. While some of us may be interested in visiting several of Durham's lovely pubs on a Thursday evening, others may be more inclined towards a nice cup of coffee or a quiet study session on a Wednesday afternoon. Some of us might be up for a day trip to a museum, a national park, perhaps the cinema or a restaurant. We are always open to suggestions. MATSA is also keen on signposting its members to useful organisations and services and representing mature student's interests within the university.

This week will see MATSA relaunch with two events. On Wednesday 21 February, we will be hosting a drop-in between 14:00 and 17:00 in Kingsgate (Durham SU) where there will be free snacks and soft drinks along with an opportunity to meet one another and discuss what MATSA does and what you would like it to do. Then on Thursday 22 February, we shall be meeting at the Riverside Cafe at 19:00 before venturing out to a few of our favourite pubs in Durham city. 

You can join the Mature Students Association via the Union website to receive information about our activities and you can find us here on Facebook.

We look forward to seeing you soon!