Charles Sturt University PhD student Joshua Scherpenhuizen said it is common for younger lecturers, like himself, to have students in their classes who are much older than them. 

“Some of these mature aged students are already professionals in their own area and just want to return to university to diversify or just due to an interest in another field,” the 30-year-old student said. 

“Sometimes this causes issues for the teaching staff as these mature aged students don’t always cope well with being taught by someone young enough to be their child.” 

Mr Scherpenhuizen said, unlike some of his peers, he has only had positive experiences when dealing with much older students. 

“I’ve heard from colleagues that some mature aged students do not appreciate being told what to do,” he said. 

“I think it’s definitely an attitude that can come up often, particularly around distance and mature aged students. 

“However, I think it depends on the student-lecture relationships and how they both interact with each other.” 

CSU communication and design officer Kerri-Anne Chin said majority of her students are young and come into her faculty straight after graduating from high school. 

“I do understand that older students might think they have more knowledge to offer and discussions to tell students in classes, which is not always a bad thing but can definitely bring debate,” Ms Chin said. 

“I do think that lots of people are full of opinions, especially in this day and age, and many feel the need to voice their opinions, particularly if they have a subject specialisation.”