Pamela Hopwood: Experience as a mature student

Introducing Pamela 

Pamela Hopwood (she/her) completed her Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in rhetoric and professional writing at the University of Waterloo in 2004. In September of 2019, she returned to Waterloo as a Master of Science (MSc) student in Public Health and Health Systems. She completed her MSc in 2021, and immediately began her PhD, exploring precarious forms of paid caregiving work from a feminist perspective. 

Since returning to the Waterloo community, Pamela has amassed quite a list of accomplishments. In May 2023 she received a Canadian Graduate Scholarship – Doctoral through the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), totaling $105 000 over three years. During the same period, she received the Schlegel UW Research Institute for Aging “Most Innovative Research Award” at Waterloo’s Symposium on Aging Research conference. Pamela has also been elected president of the School of Public Health Sciences Graduate Student Association, putting her in a position to support other graduate students in her program.  

Experience as a mature student 

Pamela worked in health care for more than a decade, seeing firsthand how issues in our public health system impact the home and community care that Ontarians receive. In her words “enrolling in graduate studies at the School of Public Health Sciences enabled me to study issues at the system level, and my frontline experience gave me insight into real problems that affect the workforce and patients.” 

Returning to Waterloo as a mature student gave Pamela a sense of revitalization, sparking intellectual and personal growth. In particular, she explains how working closely with her supervisor, Ellen MacEachen, has empowered her by providing the support she needs to exceed her own expectations. “It’s incredibly powerful to have a mentor with extensive experience in research and leadership, [and] as a mature student, I think I have more appreciation of this transformative relationship than I would have had when I was younger.” 

At the same time, Pamela has also faced particular challenges returning to Waterloo as a mature student. Though she has made some great friends of many ages, she acknowledges that it can be more difficult to find a peer group among other students. But in a way, this has also been an advantage for her. Less interested in the student social scenes than when she was in her 20s, Pamela now finds it easier to dedicate herself to her coursework and research.  

The rapid pace of technological change has also been a challenge, with a potentially steep learning curve for mature students using the new tools and platforms that have become increasingly ubiquitous in graduate school. Pamela reflects that “I didn’t even have a cell phone when I started my undergraduate degree. The first Blackberry with instant messaging came out the year I graduated with my BA!” To help address this sense of disconnect, Pamela has made use of in-person visits to the campus libraries to get some refreshers on search strategies and the tools available. In the process, she has also learned more about citation management software, which she describes as “the greatest time saver I have ever encountered!” 

Advice to other mature students 

One of the key messages Pamela has for other mature graduate students is to trust themselves. “Stick to the habits that have helped you succeed in your life and education previously – if they’ve worked so far, you’re likely on the right track!” This acknowledges that mature students especially bring a great deal of applicable life experience to their university program. Pamela explains how being a mother has taught her the value of maintaining a regular routine and healthy sleep schedule. These life lessons have in turn allowed her to make the most out of her time in grad school.  

For areas where there might be gaps in life experience, such as around new tools or technologies, Pamela urges mature students to reach out for support. Specifically, she recommends that mature students get to know their computing office staff, who are a phenomenal resource to go to with technological questions or issues. They can help when something goes wrong with a student’s computer, as well as provide support for using MS Teams and other platforms or software.