A Non-Traditional Student's Guide to College
What to expect in college
More and more students over traditional age are returning to college expecting to sharpen skills, learn new skills, or simply add a degree to help retain or obtain a job. These students are often quite worried about the college experience, some of them not having attended at all when they were younger and feeling they don’t know what to expect. But their fears often turn out to be nothing to worry about.
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For example, non-traditional students typically worry about being able to keep up with current technology. The truth is, unless you have been living in the Dark Ages, the technology isn’t that difficult. Papers are expected to be typewritten, and some instructors want assignments turned in electronically. This could be as simple as sending via email or through some other educational software such as Blackboard, a commonly used service now that those not involved in education probably would not have worked with. But there are all kinds of students who have never experienced Blackboard before, not just non-traditional students, so you can expect instruction to be available. Some campuses have computer lab aids or perhaps librarians who can help if you need more guidance at the start of the course. All schools know that many non-traditional students have no experience with this relatively new kind of programming, so ask for help, but don’t let the fear of new technology scare you away from college. Chances are that just a few classes into your freshman year will find you quite comfortable with such technological advances.
Another fear for non-traditional students considering college is that they won’t have the time to study. Certainly, time management is a big part of the college learning experience, especially for those students who have jobs. But traditional aged students often have jobs, too, some of them full time, and some with families. If they can manage, so can an adult who has already spent years juggling career, social and household duties. The best way to cope is to make a schedule. Write in times you expect to work, class, sleep, study and recreation. Keep in mind that study is often more effective when it is broken into several smaller sessions rather than one long marathon session. The rule of thumb for college is to allow two hours of study time for each hour spent in class. Creating a schedule that illustrates the amount of time actually available for study can relieve some of the fear.
The biggest fear non-traditional college students seem to have is fear of failure. They are typically paying their own way and have a compelling reason for being in college. The pressure is simply greater for most non-traditional students. But much of that pressure they put on themselves. High expectations may be unreasonable for you at this point in your life; you may have to accept that a B or even a C is good enough for a test or even a final grade. You should focus on the learning that you get from a course as long as you get a passing grade. If time, contracts and finances allow, you might be better off taking just one or two classes at a time at first so you can focus rather than having to spread your time and attention around to five different courses. A few lower grades on a transcript will not prevent you from getting a good job, either; few college students graduate with straight As, and GPA doesn’t necessarily have the impact you might expect.
Non-traditional students can take other measures to make the college experience easier and lessen the fears. Make friends with as many other students as possible, and make sure some of those are students of traditional age. While you may not have much in common in your personal lives, your educational experiences will have at least something in common, and chances are good you can learn something from these other students (such as how to use Blackboard). They are also usually more comfortable with the school experience and can help allay fears about grades and expected performance.
Use time in between classes to study, also. Whether you are going to school full-time or part-time, you will probably find five minutes here and there when you have nothing you have to do. Glancing through a few flash cards or reading the summary at the end of a chapter in this kind of situation can be more helpful than spending hours in intense study. Be sure you know how to study, also; a chapter should never be read more than twice. If you read more than that, you are wasting time and need to learn how to take better notes.
Explore what help is available, as well, both for study skills and content issues. With the use of the Internet today, help is available for almost every problem at all hours of the day and night. Find university OWLs for writing help and formal tutoring services for science assistance. Look for more sample algebra problems (those that give you answers and hopefully explanations) to give you more practice. And use your campus facilities. Don’t forget the library—they can help with a lot more than just college research papers, although they are an excellent resource there.
Returning to college as a non-traditional student doesn’t need to be a daunting experience. Expect it to be rewarding, and then make it so.
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