The Expanding Environment for Non Traditional Students

Prior to 1947, Junior Colleges were available to assist with the need for post-secondary education (Breach, 2010). There were influxes of high schools students looking to enter college; however, many of these students did not poses the skillset required to enter an institution

For some students, the question of what to do after high school may be a burden to even contemplate as it approaches quicker and quicker. The pressure to continue another four (or more) years of education after high school can be overwhelming considering twelve years of schooling has already been completed; why go right back to school again? When’s break time? Some people are simply just not ready for college and they know it, or at least until after they have had a long break or have had some time to recollect themselves. Technically speaking college isn’t for everyone, nor is it necessarily needed for a career. Luckily today, there are many other options that potential career seeking beings can get a head start on such as community colleges and trade/vocational schools. These alternatives to a four year college are considered to be a good start on a job (and maybe even a career). The best benefits of these alternatives involve the cost of attending, the student environment, and the degrees offered.

Finding out early which type of student you are will help you out in the long run. Traditional students tend to be more productive in school when it comes to doing work and actual attendance. They keep up on homework better and have less distractions, so they also tend to have a higher graduation rate then none traditional students. Additional students will have a higher stress rate from school induce stress than a nontraditional student. "However, the traditional students reported actually attending class more often, as well as worrying about school performance more often".(HENLEY, January 1998). Nontraditional students on the other hand tend to be affected less by school induced stressed and more by their problems outside of school. For example

With today’s changing world and the economy the way it is, it is not uncommon for people of all ages to enter the college setting. In fact, two-thirds of students entering the college setting are classified non-traditional (Brown, 2007). Bill (2003) found that there was an 11% increase of non-traditional student enrollment from 1991-1998 displaying 35% in 91 and 46% in 1998. These numbers have since increased according to Jacobson & Harris (2008) showing that half to 75% of undergraduates consist of the non-traditional student sitting the reasons for reentering the college setting to be economic. What exactly defines a non-traditional student and what services may they need in comparison to the traditional student.

Every college student is concerned about his or her academic future, especially nowadays in times of the economic crisis. College students are desperate for experience that might distinguish them later from other job applicants and improve their chances of getting their

According to Lundberg (2003), “adult students are one of the most rapidly growing segments of today’s college student population, making up approximately 40% of all college students” (665).

Community colleges in the United States develop rapidly and have become a vital component of the postsecondary education delivery system. As of 2011-2012 school year, 45% of all undergraduate students were enrolled in public two-year colleges, approximately 8.3 million students (Knapp et al., 2012. Cited by AACC Fast Facts). And it seems that with globalization and Obama’s education agenda, the trend of growing enrollment in community colleges won’t change. A high school graduate who decides to pursue postsecondary education may face with a dilemma--whether enroll in a community college or a traditional four-year college. Even within a community college, a student may be faced with a choice—enroll in a vocational program and enter workforce after graduation with a vocational certification, or choose an academic program with an intention of transferring to four-year institutions.

After twelve years of school, where will you go next? Many of you have developed the ambition to prolong your education and attend college. Today, there are many more options than there were in the past. One does not have to graduate high school and go straight to a four year university. It is sometimes better for a student to go to a community college and focus on transfer courses or simply get an Associate’s Degree. On the other hand, there are young adults that prefer to leap straight into a university and focus on the specific program for their Bachelor’s Degree.

blended, and independent study learning options for students. Graduating more than 600 students each year, our schools have recently

As student popula- tions become even more heterogeneous, additional research is needed to under - stand the various pathways through college life, particularly in the context of rising student

Students go to college in search of knowledge, a new lifestyle, and the hope of a job after graduation. For many young adults, college is a rite of passage into an independent, mature new lifestyle. Not only is higher education a rite of passage, for some, it is also an opportunity to have a better life. Overall, college is a wonderful part of many people’s lives, yet the way the college education system is conducted wastes students time and money. College is basically composed of two parts: general education classes and major specific classes. General education courses are the source of wasted time and money, and should not be required of students. A few of the problems associated with general education classes are that they are

Recent studies indicate an increase in the numbers of nontraditional students returning to colleges; the enrollment of students ages 25 and older rose by 13 percent between 1997 and 2007. NCES (2009) reported that from 2006 to 2017, there will be a continual increase in enrollment to nearly 20 percent for this age group (Bonner et al., 2015; Kenner & Weinerman, 2011; Ross-Gordon, 2011). According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) there are 162.3 million people in the United States and the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning claims that 38 million working adults 25 and older have taken some college courses but have not completed a degree (Bergman et al., 2014). Today, more

Now that there is an identification of what a traditional and non-traditional college student characteristics are and as to why these characteristics are changing let’s take a closer look. There are the above indications as to why more and more college students are working but more preciously lets identify the different levels of work that are being performed, whether the job is off or on campus,

Thus, they are typically 18 when they enter college and between 22 and 24 when they graduate (Dill & Henely, 1998; Justice & Dornan, 2001; Monroe, 2006). For these students, entering college is done for extrinsic reasons such as parental expectations and socialization (Justice & Dornan, 2001). However, unlike nontraditional students, these students typically do not have the multiple roles of parent, employee, and student (Ely, 1997).

Debates between the validity of online learning gets more popular as the days go on. Most high schools offer online classes to students wanting to receive a class not offered at the school. Some students take online classes in order to get ahead in their college careers, or the student holds a grudge against the school’s choice of a teacher. Traditional learning has been used for decades, and will continue to be used in future generations. Most schools offer online classes, but will encourage the student to focus on a traditional class. Online courses seem to have benefits, but none of these benefits match up with a regular class. Many students find it easier to understand the work and focus on what they are doing when put in a classroom. Students should stick with face-to-face learning because it helps the student to socialize and work better with others, the student does not have to worry about disciplining themselves, and with the student teaching the material becomes harder to learn.