For the Traditional Student Goal Setting Quiz For the Non Traditional Student For the Urban Student Goal Setting Quiz Links For the Commuter Goal Setting Quiz Links TAKE THE OPINION POLL!

Some Remarks on Nontraditional Students

A current source on conditions in higher education states that "the average age of the college student today is twenty-six; we can expect it to increase" through the years. The original colleges and universities were designed to educate white, male, Christian teenagers. However, women, ethnic minority, older learners, differently abled and other underrepresented student groups are on the increase. Attendance patterns are changing: one-half of college enrollments are part time. The shift in enrollment patterns on many college campuses means that the exception is becoming the norm. The trend is growing nationally . With diversity as the hallmark of entering classes of the future, nontraditional students are a welcome part of the campus community.

All college learners have some universal needs, such as good study skills, efficient time management, academic and social support systems, and recreational outlets. However, these behaviors and mechanisms have different characteristics for nontrads. Efficient time management may mean knowing how to review for a test while cleaning the bathrooms and doing the laundry.

If there are children in the home with early bedtimes, don't forget the power of study sessions on the telephone; you don't have to be face-to-face to have a terrific review session! If you are a semiprofessional chauffeur and haul kids around often, don't forget the power of the tape player (all vehicles seem to have them now) in the car! You can either listen to tapes you've made of those stirring lectures, or making and then listening to review tapes of your own invention from notes and book material can both be powerful learning strategies! The other soccer moms will think there's hip music in your Walkman; they don't need to know that its a rocking tape on the judicial system in America that's playing while you coach from the sidelines!

If your children are in school, it'll be good for them to know that you're in school, too, and have homework. If possible, find a time to study together. Children should learn to value, rather than resent, their parents being in school. Be sure to also schedule times when you and the kids just mess around. All work and no play makes an unhappy family!

If you have an adult partner, be sure that you fairly negotiate the responsibilities toward the household, the kids, and toward one another. Everyone has a role to play in facilitating your success in school!

You've still got loads of responsibilities that traditional students may not. If your household responsibilities sidetrack you from studying, you may need a permanent place on campus to study. You should strive to find students, regardless of their ages, who can become a support network for you. The generation gap paradox is that the 18-year-olds think the older students are smarter by virtue of their life experiences, and the nontrads are sure that younger brains work better and that younger students are smarter. There's a lot to be learned from one another! Don't be "age-ist" in your choice of study partners!!

Campus learning center units offer free help for undergraduates. They tend to focus on the areas of math, writing, reading and study skills, and the many classes undergrads must take and find problematic. Regular users of Learning Centers experience higher grades than comparable nonusers. Don't overlook campus daycare opportunities, counseling services, women's centers, and so on. Many campuses have official nontraditional student support groups. Shop around for some support. Resist the urge to keep your distance from campus opportunities. In fact, if your school has no nontrad association, be a hero and start one!