University is not just for college-leavers because every year, thousands of mature students who have spent a number of years outside of education, choose to develop their lives and careers by entering Higher Education. Royal Holloway has a long tradition of welcoming mature students and recognises that the experiences and expectations mature students have can differ to those who have gone to university straight from school or college. A mature student is officially anyone over the age of 21 and while there is no such thing as a typical mature student, they often share the same experiences and concerns.