Being a mature student

"Isn't it strange being a student at your age?" one of my former students in Korea asked me recently. At my age! Indeed.

Student life is certainly different for me this time round. But it's different for undergraduates as well. We went to classes, memorised enough to pass end of year exams, met for drinking and discussion, sometimes for discussion and drinking and occasionally just for drinking. We protested against the Vietnam War and NZ's involvement in supporting aprtheid in South Africa. And so on.

These days I go to classes, and then read and think, sometimes just read, try to write essays, and then spend far too much time on e-mails and blogging and wandering round in cyberspace.

Seriously though. I believe everyone should have some opportunity every ten years or so to take time out from their regular duties for some study on whatever they are passionate about.