It’s 7 a.m. on a Monday morning and student Patti Hachten is bustling around on campus, preparing for another hectic week of classes at the University. But Hachten has more than homework on her mind — the 38-year-old business administration major is also a mother and wife.
This week, people such as Hachten can connect with other nontraditional students, as well as the community, as a part of National Nontraditional Student Week.
As of spring term, more than 4,200 students at the University were older than 25, one criterion for being considered a nontraditional student. National figures show the percentage of older students to be even higher.
“By the latest census figures, 38 percent of all college students are over the age of 25,” she said.
The University also classifies as “nontraditional” those students who are married or live with a lifelong partner, are in charge of caring for elderly parents, have children or are returning to college after taking a significant break to work or raise a family.
Along with all of the regular pressures college students face, Hachten said nontraditional students often feel alienated in the college world.
“It’s a real culture shock for students who have been in the workforce for a long time to come back to school,” Hachten said. “They have so much life experience that they feel it develops a chasm between themselves and regular students.”
Brenda Tuomi, coordinator of nontraditional student programs, said it took her five years to complete her bachelor’s degree with a husband and two children, while also working full-time. Tuomi was excited when she first started attending classes at the University, but she also experienced a lot of self-doubt.
“The first class I ever attended it looked like I was the oldest person in there and I wondered if I had anything of value to say,” Tuomi said. “I was very unsure of myself.”
Sayaka Mimura, a senior sociology major, said the most difficult part of being a nontraditional student is having less access to campus resources and feeling alienated from the college community. Unlike Hachten and Tuomi, Mimura does not have a spouse or children. After working for six years as a bank teller, Mimura decided to return to school and get a degree, so she left Japan and began attending college in the United States.
With all the demands on their time, Hachten said nontraditional students often feel overwhelmed because they experience so much pressure from outside sources. For regular students, college is their whole life, but for nontraditional students, attending the University is just one responsibility they have to deal with.
“For nontraditional students, the rest of your life doesn’t go on hold just because you’re a college student,” Hachten said the Nontraditional Student Union has several events planned for students this week, such as a coffee hour at 8 a.m. in the NSU office and brown bag lunches at noon to tell nontraditional students about campus resources. Students can call 346-4305 for more information.
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