What is a non-traditional student?
Definitions are not very specific but can include being older than 23, taking classes part-time while holding a full-time job, or not enrolling in college right out of high school.
In my case, it means I'm a 30-something wife and mother returning to college after a 10 year sabbatical. I started my higher education as a bright-eyed, overachieving 15-year-old high schooler right here at Mat-Su College. I was born and bred in Wasilla but promptly left after my Freshman year at Mat-Su to spread my eager young wings at Eastern Oregon University in the town of La Grande. I had two of the best years of my life out there gaining independence, confidence, and experience. I also met the love of my life, got married, and briefly lived near Portland, Oregon, before returning to Alaska to raise a family of my own. Fast forward to today and I have a nine year old son whom I adore, thirteen years of marriage under my belt, and nearly two decades of life experience that tell me I am a very different person than when I started college all those years ago.
What's changed? For one, I changed my mind about what I want to be when I grow up. Art Teacher is out and Environmental Educator is in! And I can no longer pull those all-night paper writing sessions, or wait until the last minute to study for a test. All that free time and energy I had when I was a teen is used up feeding and caring for my family and household. My priorities are all different. And now I'm privileged to be a Student Ambassador for Mat-Su College, attending classes in the valley, at UAA, and even through distance education from UAF and Kenai Peninsula College. I'm getting to know the ins and outs of my educational institutions while navigating my way to a long-sought Bachelor's Degree in Environmental Studies. I'm excited about my education, despite its frustrations and hoops to jump through, because I believe that it will make my life better. Education is a gift, a privilege, and I for one want to make the most of it. Plus, it sets a great example for my son to see me working hard at a goal that is all my own. In less than 10 years he'll be a bright-eyed teen setting out into the world to make his mark just like I did. And if it doesn't go exactly as he planned I'll truly understand what he's going through.
So, I may be a non-traditional student (which really just means I'm not 18 and inexperienced anymore), but I'm still a student. I attend class, study, read, write papers, take tests, and pick my way through the maze of university requirements to achieve what all students are working for...recognition for my knowledge and accomplishments. It's my passport to a satisfying career. And when I'm not in class I may be working as a Student Ambassador guiding new students to sources of information or helping staff connect with the student body. Away from school, I might be found volunteering in my son's fourth grade class, or setting a healthy meal on the table for my family, or feeding our dog and three cats, or cleaning the house I helped to build with my own two hands. And when I have some free time I'm likely to be visiting with friends and family, taking a vacation in some warm beautiful place, walking in the outdoors or volunteering for outdoor education, reading by the wood stove, or just relaxing on the couch to watch a movie.
We're all in the same college-life boat, so why not share our experiences with each other and learn from them? Even though this blog is about my experiences as a non-traditional student you might find it informative, entertaining, comforting, or even amusing. I look forward to sharing with you and I hope you will pass on your own stories to other students and make connections at Mat-Su College that will last long into the future.
