Mature students enter higher education for many different reasons including a career change, to update qualifications, or after developing a particular interest and many more reasons. Whatever your reason is, we recognise that your needs may be different from school leavers. Welfare@CampusLife are here to support you so that you get the best out of your University experience.
Before you start University
When you are waiting to start your course follow these tips to get a head start to your University life.
| Pre-Arrival Communication | Keep an eye out for pre-arrival emails from Swansea University. They contain lots of useful information that you need to know as well as events for you to sign up to either before or after term starts. Plan to attend the Arrivals Marquee on the weekend before Fresher’s week if you can. Here, you can meet representatives from your college, as well as other University services including CampusLife. |
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| Transport | As a mature student, you are more likely to also be commuting to University. If you are planning to commute by car, be prepared to have difficulty parking. Due to the increasing size of the student and staff population, the University does not offer students parking as standard. Students are not able to park on Campus in Singleton University and you may need to look into Pay and Display car parks nearby or Park and Ride. For information on bus times, routes and to get your student bus pass or train card, go to the Travel Shop on Singleton Campus in Fulton House. To find out more, check out the useful links below. |
| Induction Week | Make sure that you receive your Induction timetable from your college. There will usually be introductory lectures from your department and support services during the week before lectures start. Attend these if you can, not only is it usually useful information, it’s also a chance to meet your course mates and make friends. |
| Fresher's Fair | The Student Union organise the Fresher’s Fair each year on both campuses. It’s a chance for you to find out about all the sports clubs and societies available for you to join. There is something for everyone and it is open to all – don’t be put off by being a mature student, you will have experience that would be an asset to any club or society! |
| Fresher's Week Events | These are for ALL students. The parties and balls may not be your scene but if you fancy joining in, go for it! The Student Union is your student union just as much as it is for younger students. You also have a part-time Student Union Mature Students Officer who is there to be your voice. Think something is missing or have a good idea? Let your Officer know and get your voice heard. |
| Get Your Bearings | Pick up a campus map from a College or University reception and go and explore. Sometimes it can feel like parts of the campus are off limits to you or are too intimidating to enter. Facilities are for your use as a Swansea University student and you should take advantage of what is on offer for you. Go and find all the cafes, shops and bars and make sure you always know the nearest place to grab a coffee with your course mates. Go and explore the library. Ask the help desk staff if there are any library inductions running and get the low-down from a subject librarian on where your books can be found. |
| GP | If you aren’t registered with a local GP, you can register with the Student Health Centre in Penmaen House Singleton Campus or the SA1 Health Centre near the Bay Campus. See the link below for more information. |
When lectures start
Check-in with your Faculty
Get your timetable from your Faculty. Compare it with your campus map and ensure you know where your lectures are and how long it takes you to get there. Get in the habit of checking your student email every day. This is how the university, support services and your college will communicate with you.
Meet your Personal Tutor
Your Personal Tutor can be your first point of contact while you are in University. They can support you with academic advice, and career guidance and signpost you to the best people for other queries.
Know where to find your Faculty Student Information / Experience Teams
These are the friendly people who can answer your course questions, help you change modules, talk about attendance and support you to apply for Extenuating Circumstances or Exam Deferrals if you experience difficulties. See the link below to find out who your college contacts are.
Student Support Services
Swansea Employability Academy (SEA)
It’s never too early or too late to get career advice. SEA provides a wide range of services and resources which are available to all Swansea University students and alumni (up to 5 years after graduation), including:
- Programmes of employability workshops, employers’ talks, bespoke events and careers fairs
- The Swansea Employability Award (recorded in your Higher Education Achievement Report)
- Work experience programmes
- Resources for job hunting, finding work while you study and volunteering
- Individual advice and guidance from professionally qualified Careers Advisers
- Access to information on a wide range of career management topics
- Advice and guidance on postgraduate study and funding.
The Centre for Academic Success (CAS)
As a Mature Student it may be some time since you were last in education. For this reason, you may feel that you could benefit from some extra help in brushing up on your academic skills. The Academic Success Programme includes a variety of courses such as academic writing, critical thinking and presentation skills as well as one to one appointments with an advisor.
Inclusive Student Support Services (ISSS)
ISSS are committed to providing an inclusive learning environment for all students at Swansea University. There are made up of the following teams:
Disability - Contact the Disability Office if you have a disability, medical condition or specific learning difficulty, to find out more about the support that is available to ensure you have the same opportunities as everyone else.
Assessment - At Swansea Assessment Centre your experiences will be placed at the heart of the assessment process. Our aim is that you can use your DSA support to study with the greatest possible confidence, whilst being well prepared for any challenges that may occur as you progress through your course.
Wellbeing – A service dedicated to supporting your wellbeing whilst at Swansea University. Their services include supporting students with Autistic Spectrum Conditions, counselling, workshops and mentoring.
CampusLife
The CampusLife services work together to provide advice, guidance, and information to offer you professional support throughout your University experience. CampusLife includes the following teams:
Welfare@CampusLife - Welfare@CampusLife are here to provide you with practical advice and support on many different welfare issues you may face during your time at Swansea University. We will work together with you and your college to ensure you have the best possible student experience. Check out our self-help student resources for practical advice and guidance on a range of welfare topics.
International@CampusLife - International@CampusLife provides information and advice on non-academic matters, including immigration advice and services, to all international (non-UK) students and their dependants.
Money@CampusLife - The award winning Money@CampusLife team are here to help all Swansea University students with all student money related issues. They deal with a wide array of students who all have differing circumstances and backgrounds and are on hand to provide information, advice and guidance where required
Chaplincy@CampusLife - Chaplincy@CampusLifeis here for people (students, staff and community members) of all faiths and no faith are welcomed, supported and enriched. Our mission is to offer a safe space for people irrespective of faith, culture, gender or sexual orientation; to explore faith in an open and inclusive environment; to foster co-operation and collaboration between faiths and to offer confidential and non-judgmental support, advice and guidance to anyone who seeks it.
Community@CampusLife- Community@CampusLife promotes positive engagement between students and the local community. James Slattery is our Community Liaison Officer and your dedicated point of contact for community related matters. He works with students and residents living in communities across Swansea.
Where to go for further support
Within the University
Faculty Student Information / Experience Teams
You can contact the Faculty Student Information / Experience staff who can offer you practical advice, guidance, and signposting to appropriate services. They can also discuss the extenuating circumstances process with you should you need to use this. You can find a list of the contact details for Faculty Student Information / Experience staff here.
You can read more about the extenuating circumstances process here.
Listening Service
Faith@CampusLife's listening service offers a listening ear to whoever needs it – irrespective of religion, if any. These chats can happen via phone or video calling, whichever you feel most comfortable using. If you would like to speak to a particular member of the team then please indicate who that is when you contact them. To access this service please contact Listeningservice.campuslife@swansea.ac.uk
Wellbeing
Swansea University’s Wellbeing Service provides mental health and autistic spectrum condition (ASC) guidance and support to students: this includes one-to-one support with mental health and autism practitioners, mentors and counsellors, academic adjustments and self-help resources and courses. You can view the range of support available here. You can also request support by completing the Wellbeing Support Request Form. The Wellbeing Service can be contacted by email at wellbeingdisability@swansea.ac.uk
Additional resources
Students' Union: Societies & Sports Clubs
Campus Maps: Bay Campus & Singleton Campus
External Support
Family & Friends
Don't underestimate the benefit of talking to your family and friends about how you are feeling. Some-times a problem shared is a problem halved. Be careful not to depend on talking to your family and friends from home all the time though - you need to give yourself the chance to meet new friends!