Lara Ward, 30, wasn’t ready for college when she went to Kent State University after graduating from high school in 2003. She dropped out after a year, worked in massage therapy for a while and then moved to China to work at a manufacturing company for a few years. When she came back to the U.S. in 2010, she decided that it was time to go back to school so she could advance in her career.
Heading back to the classroom years after graduating high school can be intimidating. Many older students who turn to four-year universities to finish degrees also have to find ways to balance college, family and work, which can make the experience even more challenging.
Mapping out a plan for college and doing adequate research ahead of time can help prospective older students make the most of their busy schedules.
[See answers to three common questions from nontraditional students. ]
To be successful, prospective students who are researching colleges should begin by considering the type of learning style that works best for them, experts say. Online degrees offer a lot of flexibility and can be a great option, but they aren’t ideal for a student who learns better in a classroom.
“You really need to be in tune with what has been successful with you in the past and the way you learn,” says Debbie Cragun, director of the nontraditional student center at Weber State University in Utah.
There are benefits to choosing a program with a physical location even if it is online , because additional resources that can provide academic and personal relief to students are more readily available, experts say.
“Nontraditional students should also remember that on many campuses , their student fees cover access to services that they may not necessarily think about if they’re just coming to campus to go to class, to go home and go back to work to be with family,” says Shay Little, interim vice president of student affairs at Kent State University in Ohio.
[Consider these FAFSA tips to help nontraditional students pay for college. ]
Those services can include health benefits or access to recreational facilities that can help students stay healthy and fight stress. Some schools also offer child care for student parents, student discounts and reduced memberships for other services that can benefit students and their families.
Older students may not have a lot of time to devote to school clubs, but it’s still important for them to find a way to get involved, experts say.
“You need a college degree, especially a bachelor’s degree, to get a job in today’s market, but what separates you from the pack quite often is the extracurricular experience,” says Paul Artale, the director of student activities and leadership programs at the University of Michigan–Flint.
Ward, who studies Mandarin and hopes to go back to China to focus on safety regulations at manufacturing facilities when she graduates from Kent State next May, attends meetings and events hosted by the Chinese club on campus.
Finding a school with a student center for nontraditional students can help students alleviate some of the social and academic burden that older students manage.
Some centers have advisers who can help nontraditional students map out their academic and personal schedules to build in time for studying, internships and clubs. Students can also reach out to the school for assistance determining what type of financial aid they qualify for and finding ways to pay for school.
[Find scholarships for nontraditional students.]
Schools that have student centers for commuters or nontraditional students may also provide space for students to study or catch up on rest between classes. Ward spends a lot of time at The Nest, an on-campus spot that allows commuter students to relax between classes.
Kent State’s Little encourages students to create a list of all of their concerns and reach out to admissions and nontraditional student centers to start their search for solutions.
Students who haven’t been in the classroom for a while and don’t remember some basic skills or those who are unfamiliar with new technology may feel out of place, experts say.
“I was honestly nervous that they were going to be like what is wrong with this old person,” Ward says about her younger classmates. She realized that she had a lot of experience and advice to offer to her younger classmates and a lot to learn from them as well.
Connecting with peers with similar age and life experience can help make the transition to college easier, but nontraditional students should also connect with younger students.
“If your a nontraditional student it’s impressive that we’re going back. It’s impressive that we’re going for the first time,” Ward says. “It takes guts to go into a classroom and you haven’t touched a certain subject in a long time.”
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Get the Full College Experience as a Nontraditional Student originally appeared on usnews.com
