Great article-“Non-traditional students unfairly represented

This is a must read! As non-traditional students we are incredibly under represented in media which is definitely affecting how society and colleges treat us.

With the common misconception about who college students are, we non-traditional are left fighting the unfair stigma’s and stereotypes, while working twice as hard as other students. The large majority of work, have our own families to support, and some of us haven’t been in a school setting for a while.

It would be nice if the media would represent the ever increasing non-traditional population in college!

http://www.valleyvanguardonline.com/non-traditional-students-unfairly-represented/

A guide transfer students AFTER you’ve been admitted!

When I was in community college, the internet was overflowing with the steps with how to transfer, but nothing prepared me for how different colleges can be. My experience went from complete excitement, to utter shock pretty quickly. Here I am going to give a list of struggles that will possibly be dropped on your head and hopefully give you some tips that I wish I had!

1. How professors communicate and treat the class environment- At community college, every professor treated the students like adults (because well, that’s what we are!). The ages of the students would range from fresh from high school to adult students up in their 40’s and 50’s, and those awesome elders in the class with crazy experience and the best advice. The class room dynamic was mature, respectful, and very interesting. This changes when you move into a four year institution, where the professors are used to only dealing with younger students (18-22). The dynamic of the classroom is completely different. Teachers tend to talk down to students and treat us like we’re immature kids. Some teachers have even started the semester off telling us off and treating us like we are going to be misbehaving children. Not all teachers are like this, but unfortunately, I never knew I would be scolded or treated like I was in high school ever again!
2. Getting adjusted to a new online platform- Another challenge can be getting adjusted to the online platforms the school uses for teachers and students to communicate and turn in assignments. Learning browsers work and how to turn in assignments is not fun to do right before an assignment is due–I learnt that the hard way. Go through and check out all the services and information you can find on the new platform. Make sure you do miss out on any events, announcements, and student groups are posted online. This week I just found out this week that my school library has cloud printing and that I could buy major league sports tickets for super cheap!
3. Finding your way around campus- Though this seems pretty obvious but is still challenging at first! During your first semesters, take time to walk around the campus and explore where different services are. Nothing is worse than running around trying to find your class rooms when you don’t know the order of the rooms, or even where the bathrooms are when you’ve had to many energy drinks. To this day I still have my campus map on my home screen on my phone.
4. Dealing with credit transfer– This can be a fickle progress, but STAND YOUR GROUND! Though transfer agreements are to make sure the credits you took at your previous college should transfer over, some of them don’t. As a transfer student, nothing is more frustrating when your new college tells you that some classes you spent money and time on do not count. I understand if there is a massive difference in syllabus, but we deserve the credit for the classes we have already taken. Our time is precious and we did not transfer to waste time. If any of your courses for some reason don’t transfer and you feel like they should have PETITION AGAINST IT! Contact your old professors, have them send the course syllabus and course objectives, and send those in with your petition. You’ll save yourself a lot of anger and wasted time redoing what you already know! (Sometimes it seems like the colleges are trying to squeeze an extra class out of us…)
5. Commuting to and from school- This is more situational that the rest, but is still frustrating. Traditional students moved into dorms or live near campus, but some of us transfers have to commute, sometimes from a good distance away. I transferred to a college only 20 miles away, which I thought wasn’t too bad and traffic is just apart of life. What I wish I knew is how frustrating it can be that a lot of teachers and students assume I live at most 15 mins from campus–especially when you have to meet during times that will make you to waste an hour or more in traffic to get to school and/or leave afterwards. I have teachers assign extra credit and even require 15 mins ‘check-ins’ only on days and times where I would have to sit in two and half hours of traffic to get to campus. Other students don’t understand the convenience they have living near campus- I’ve had group projects where we only met for 10 mins when I wasted an hour and a half getting there. Sadly, for me moving closer to my school means doubling the rent of where I live now. However, if you have the opportunity to move close to campus…DO IT! Your college life will be a lot less stressful and definitely more convenient.
6. Making new friends…and how much you bond with other nontraditional students!– Transferring is a lonely experience. Your the new kid on campus and it seems like everyone else has already made their cliquey group of friends. Don’t be shy in class! Make an effort to talk to the students around, make study groups or even grab food after class is done. ALSO, there’s an awesome group of students that have also transferred just like you and understand EXACTLY how you feel. Once you meet another transfer student you instantly have a bond that the “traditional” students don’t understand. As weird as it sounds, you other transfer students know what I mean. We’ve all felt lost, alone, frustrated and helpless as transfers. Not only are we transfers, we are also older than the other student body (aka beer after class buddies! jk?). The closest friends I’ve met at my new college are other transfer students. Talk to students in your classes and around campus, and you’ll find other transfer students too. Some colleges do even have student transfer groups to help you meet others like you.

Though these seems frustrating, I hope I have given some good advice to help you better prepare for your new college. Overall, deciding to transfer is a huge step that you should be proud of. Don’t let these get you down, I hope that you’ll be better prepared than I was! For those who have already been through this, let me know if you have any suggestions I can add!

 

 

For laughs- Buzzfeed article

Funny memes from moments of nontraditional students! Hope everyone is having a wonderful day!

https://www.buzzfeed.com/ariannarebolini/moments-anyone-who-waited-to-go-to-college-will-recognize?utm_term=.sxPYeddjl#.uwjPwZZjV

Tips for non-traditional students!

Over the years, I have had to navigate the challenges of being a nontraditional student. Here is a list of tips that I have come up with. One thing I do know now is I wish I had all this advise four years ago!

1. Make a manageable course load! Though we will have the tendency to get through school as fast as we can because lets face it, we aren’t getting older, taking on too much will only hurt you in the long run! It is important to pick a course load that won’t be too overwhelming and discouraging.
2. Set a schedule! Plan, plan, plan! Make sure you have scheduled out all your projects for the semester, month, week and even day. I have found this specially key for success. Everyday I know what I need to do, what i will need to do, and when I’m feeling overwhelmed I know what days I can take a break if I must.
3. Connect with professors and counselors! Communicating with professors and counselors is a really great way to gain support over the years. Professors tend to love hearing from students during office hours. Whether it’s dropping in to check on your progress or if you need help, communicate with them and don’t be scared to small talk with them 🙂
4. Plan out your 2 or 4 year plan! Making sure you are staying on the path to graduation is really important. At my previous community college, I was assigned rotating counselors who told me to take different classes then what I needed. I ended up wasting a year at community college because I took classes I didn’t need to take at all. Lesson here is, do your own research and stay on top of your counselors!
5. Make time for yourself! Taking time to just relax seems like common scenes, but a lot of us forget to do it. Having work and school at the same is extremely stressful and tiresome. Try to schedule a day where you have nothing to do for a chunk of time. Enjoy a nice dinner, go for a hike, heck sit on the couch and watch TV! You desire it!
6. Connect with classmates! Though it might feel weird making friends with kids from a different generations that yourself, start up conversations with classmates. The best time is during group projects. If you have any anxiety of your age compared to the other students, befriending some classmates will calm your anxiety. This is great networking experience too. Your classmates are your potential coworkers!
7. Share your experiences in class! This is probably the most beneficial tip in my book. Sharing your experiences that relate to topics in class discussions boosts your own confidence, shows your professor you understand the topic, and actually helps your classmates better understand a topic.

You’re not alone…

Hello! Have you ever felt like your the oldest student in your courses? Feel left out or even embarrassed about how much older you are compared to the kids sitting around you? Well, you’re not alone! According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2014 students over the age of 25 accounted for 41%!

As “old” students, there tends to be a lot of frustration and misconception, especially at four year institutions. Personally, I have had plenty of my ‘college aged’ classmates ask “why are you still in school, you should of graduated by now, like with masters..” Yes I get it, at 25 I’m old for a junior and I will be graduating with students that were still in middle school when I graduated high school. But with age comes wisdom!  Unlike my fellow classmates, I have a full resume with jobs I’ve held for four plus years (instead of random summer jobs and internships). Plus, I am able to relate the concepts taught in the classroom to real world experiences working. Sadly, there are a lot of negative assumptions surrounding nontraditional students. I want to show all the benefits!

In this blog I will be addressing some tips and advice for those who are feeling too old for school. I hope to ignite discussions about the positives of being older students and help put an end to negative stereotypes that anyone else might have. YOU’RE NEVER TOO OLD!