As part of our Widening Access Strategy, St Mary’s University College hosted an information evening for mature students on 17 November from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. The theme for the evening was, “Unlock your Potential – Ar do chumas atá sé!” Mature students from a number of Further Education Institutions (FEAs) visited the College to find out more about undergraduate courses, entry requirements and, indeed, all aspects of life at St Mary’s.

The evening offers an important opportunity to receive clear and accurate information on the different undergraduate options and to have up-to-date information on entry requirements. This information applies particularly to those pursuing alternative qualification routes, such as the Access to Higher Education course. A talk therefore was offered on the BEd (Hons) Primary Teaching and Post-Primary Teaching degree programmes and on the BA (Hons) Liberal Arts degree. This talk also included information on entry requirements, application procedures, interviews and financial advice.



Information Evenings are a great opportunity to talk to College staff about the course or courses that you are interested in studying and perhaps to learn about subjects and courses that had not been previously considered. They are also a time to seek answers to specific queries about subjects, courses or financial issues.

Such events are also important as they offer a chance to meet and chat to current and past mature students about student life—the studies and the craic! Present mature students studying at St Mary’s co-hosted the evening, and three of them (Erin King, BEd Primary English; Gavan Duffy, BEd Primary Science; and Kieran Jennings, BA Liberal Arts) shared stories regarding their pathways into higher education: the challenges they faced, the help and support they received, their experience of College life as mature students and the joys of realising their dreams. Some excerpts from personal statements about their experiences appear below:

For many years I suppressed my desire to be a teacher, and fuelled by my own self-doubt, I convinced myself it was only a dream, yet here I am now… living that dream. Embrace the opportunity that a second chance can give you and let the wealth of your life experience help guide you through this journey. The best advice I could give you is this: believe in yourself, believe that anything is possible and, most of all, believe that it is never too late to open a new chapter in your life.
Erin King, BEd Primary English


I spent over 12 years in the civil service in various different departments. I did an Access to Higher Education course in Maths and Computing, and I am currently in the third year of the BEd programme. Academically, I have found . . . a good deal of acceptance of the life experiences of mature students.
Gavan Duffy, BEd Primary Mathematics

St Mary’s has given me a goal to reach for and will ultimately provide me with the skills and the degree required to work in the career in which I want to work. This year, I have been given the Liberal Arts Dedication to Studies award after managing to achieve the best results in the Liberal Arts cohort for year one. None of that would have been possible without the year-round assistance I receive from the support staff, lecturers and my classmates. If I can do it, anyone can.
Kieran Jennings, BA Liberal Arts

There was also an opportunity to see the many facilities that the College has to offer on a Campus Discovery Tour. This included a visit to the Library, the Writing Centre, the Careers Guidance Centre, the Open Access Suite and other ICT facilities, the College Chapel, the Performance Enhancement Centre/Sports Hall and, of course, the Students’ Union and the Student Centre.


For more information please contact:

Trevor Abbott (Academic Registry) or Susan Morgan (Widening Access & Participation).