Often, “non-traditional students” (older than typical college students; returning to school after years away) are both excited and anxious to restart their education. Sometimes, the anxiety takes over, leading to fears of failure or not belonging. However, evidence from my 20-plus years as a community college professor indicates that you should draw confidence from those characteristics defining you as non-traditional.

1.Life Experience Matters

Simply living life has provided you with valuable capital: social, emotional, and (maybe) professional experience. Do not check this collective experience at the classroom door!

One of my more recent non-traditional students returned to college decades after graduating high school. She lived with her daughter and her 7-year old granddaughter, and worked full-time. During class introductions, she acknowledged her year of graduation almost with regret, as if she were encroaching on college territory not designed for someone her age or in her circumstances.

Her classmates weren’t having it.

They asked about her decision to return to school and her goals. They weren’t impolite or aggressive, just interested. The student herself was willing to answer (no one ​has​ to answer), and her generosity prompted her classmates to compare her decisions to their own potential choices and goals, and hear a first-person account of the benefits of education.

Another of my non-traditional students had been successful in his native country which had become so dangerous that he fled to the United States. The story was compelling, but what struck his classmates most was his motivation. They saw him investing time, energy, and money into cultivating reading and writing skills (skills he was proficient with in his home country) in order to rebuild his life. They were inspired.

2.Maturity Matters
Accumulated years of maturity help you adapt to classroom etiquette.

You understand punctuality:​ perhaps you’ve had to show up on time for work or have experienced frustration when employees or colleagues have shown up late. Maybe you’ve had to juggle schedules for your kids. Whatever the case, you know how to deal with time constraints and how to show up on time.

You understand the importance of communication:​ you don’t wait until a due date passes to ask for an extension on an assignment and generally don’t send emails that look like this:

“I’m in ur class and need 2 know bout paper.”

because you know the value of a polite greeting, of identifying yourself, and presenting your questions or concerns clearly.

Such demonstrations of maturity make a positive impression on your (grateful) professor.

3. Enthusiasm Matters

Often, traditional students come to class with some remaining high-school mentalities. They might still see school as a chore, entering a class session already anticipating its end.

As non-traditional students aware of your investment of time and money, you reach for learning opportunities. Consistently, you show your motivation to learn and make that learning relevant to your lives.

Your enthusiasm helps you, but is also a whole-class asset. It can change the tone of the class, encouraging your classmates to engage. Engaged students make for richer classroom experiences all around.

Embrace your Status

Though you may be nervous, remember that you have specific characteristics that can move you toward success. Lean in to them. Embrace the experiences, maturity, and enthusiasm that accompany your “non-traditional” status.

–Professor Allison Bressmer

www.linkedin.com/in/allisonbressmer