Taking on a
new challenge in life
The nontraditional or older student is someone
who may need to complete their high school equivalency requirements, has
delayed college, obtained some entry level college experience, or a college
degree. There are many life roles an older student may have such as full time
employment, being a single parent, or being financially independent. A community college gives the nontraditional
or older student easier access to the support, guidance, and the faculty needed
to be successful in obtaining a college education.
One
of the first challenges that a nontraditional or older student may face is the
preliminary steps of applying to a college, which is now offered online. If a
student has little or no experience with this online application process, it
can be intimidating. A community college website is usually very efficient and maneuverable.
It will give the nontraditional or older student access to the support needed
to get their admissions application processed. There usually are a variety of
campus locations or regional learning centers, to help based on the students
needs. Links on a community college website
will offer may resources on how to access the diverse services needed to start
the process toward college. Many of these nontraditional or older students are
thinking about returning to school because they need to complete their college
education, due to the loss of employment, career advancement, or a competitive
job market. Twenty-three years after she left high school as a junior, Mary Ann
was once again in a classroom with many individuals her age who were enticed by
the textile plants with high paying positions two decades ago. After several
months of coursework and dedicated study, she took the exam and passed—on her
first attempt. With this newfound confidence and pride, she began to think
seriously about enrolling in some skills classes at her community college.
(Urso and Sygielski 14)
The
academic advising services department can provide the student with a face to
face experience in a scheduled appointment. They can help a student to adapt
and use a community colleges website with more ease. The Advising faculty can give
the nontraditional or older student many facts and resources about GED prep, Community Education and Workforce Development,Career and Technical Programs, Transfer
Programs, or Degrees and Majors. This service is just the beginning
of a necessary and basic part of the support system needed for the
non-traditional or older student. Reentry adults’ multiple roles and
commitments increase the likelihood they will look for degree and certificate
programs that provide them flexibility in time and locations for both course
completion and for access to key student services (Ross-Gordon 27).
A
nontraditional or older student will have many questions weighing on his or her
mind, when considering their return to college. One of the most important facts
that would affect any choice for college education is the cost. The Financial
Aid department can help a nontraditional or older student find out what he or
she qualifies for to juggle the cost of tuition. Some of these examples are
grants, scholarships, work-study programs, and federal loans. There are many
steps to applying for the diverse types of financial aid and deadlines to meet.
Understanding how these things work will affect the student’s ability to
maintain and continue in college. A meeting with a financial aid advisor will
help the nontraditional or older student add to the support system they need to
build and continue to grow.
There
are many other student services at a community college that can provide additional
support such as counseling services, tutoring services, career services, and
disability services. The introduction to the structure of a community college and
its support system will build confidence and stability for the older student. From
the start, community college students are often in greater need of on-campus
resources to help them find success. This need challenges them to identify (and
use) on-campus resource opportunities in a more through manner on a more
regular basis. The development of this habit allows the students to follow
similar path of researching and utilizing available resources on the four-year
campus. . (Urso and Sygielski 17)
This support will then help the student acclimate
into the classroom, which is where they will begin to learn. There may be ideas
the non-traditional or older student has formed about a classroom setting, with
the younger more traditional students. In class, they may feel overwhelmed and
wonder how they will retain or learn something new after so many years out of
the classroom. They may over look the assets they bring to the classroom. Many
of these students have been in real life situations where they have already
built skills on how to thrive while struggling financially and emotionally. They
have experience in relationships such as in a marriage, parenting, employment,
and some as caregivers to their own parents. These experiences bring new
perspectives to a classroom. The coursework is enrichment with a promise for
growth and building better skills.
The community college setting gives the
nontraditional or older student the opportunity to be in a smaller classroom
and easier access to their instructor or professor. With smaller class sizes, these individuals
received the necessary attention they needed to increase their self-confidence
as participants and active members of the learning process. This increase
confidence allows them to engage fellow students, college employees and members
of the faculty in meaningful academic and social discussions. (Urso and
Sygielski 17)
As
the nontraditional and older student builds their skills academically and uses
the support system available to them in a community college setting their
interests build. This can open up this possibility of attending a four year
college
or university. Many community colleges have
transfer programs available to universities. As older students entering the
four-year school, generally, community college transfer students have had
several opportunities (assessments, tutoring/mentoring sessions, seminars,
advising, ect.) to develop their college success skills and understand their
learning style and are able to apply it to their academic pursuits.
Additionally, they understand learning outcomes and associated
responsibilities. (Urso and Sygielski 16) For the nontraditional or older
student a community college offers the support, guidance, and faculty needed to
be successful in obtaining a college education.
Works Cited
Ross-Gordon, Jorvita M. “Research
On Adult Learners: Supporting The Needs Of A Student Population That Is No
Longer Nontraditional.” Peer Review 13.1 (2011): 26-29. Academic Search Complete. Web. 21 Oct. 2013
Urso, David, and
John J. Sygielski. “Why Community
College Students Make Successful Transfer Students.” Journal Of College Admission 194 (2007):
12-17. ERIC. Web. 24 Oct. 2013.
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