New study considers whether age affects your experiences on an undergraduate degree

With significant numbers of students entering Higher Education over the age of 21, a University of Leicester project examines whether age is just a number for undergraduate students.

Charlotte Sutton, from the Department of Sociology, will be conducting a survey across the university, which considers whether age affects undergraduates’ choices, motivations and worries during their studies. This survey will centre upon first-year students from a range of disciplines including Computing, Law, Natural Science, Psychology, Sociology and History.

The first impressions survey will form the first phase of a detailed longitudinal project on student experiences at the University of Leicester. First-year students taking part in the survey will be invited to register to take part in a subsequent phase of detailed research. This second phase will document the specific experiences of different aged undergraduates during the first two years of full-time study at the University of Leicester.

As well as understanding whether age is a significant factor in Higher Education, it is hoped that this research will help universities to meet the needs of all students, irrespective of age.

First-year students interested in taking part in the second phase, who would like to share their experiences of university, should include their contact details in the survey questionnaire or contact Charlotte directly, at ces46@le.ac.uk.