Source: Stockvault

 

Society’s image of a college student is a high school graduate leaving their parent’s house and moving into a college dorm. They likely party on the weekends, form study groups, and make friends during their first day or two at college. While a lot of high school students do graduate high school and go on to pursue a degree, many others go on a different path.

 

According to a report by Arizona State University, less than one third of students attending college in the U.S. are traditional students. This means that the majority of students start school at an older age, have full-time jobs, are parents, take classes online or at night, attend a community college, or some combination of these.

 

Still, it can be difficult to find a sense of belonging when you don’t fit the idea of what you or your peers think to be a college student. Whether you are taking night classes on campus or online classes at home, there are many ways you can embrace being a nontraditional student.

 

A New Adventure

Starting college is difficult for every student, but nontraditional students may find additional hurdles that traditional students don’t face. Some tips that can help make the transition of going to college for the first time easier include learning as much as you can about your new environment and getting some work done before classes start.

 

To get familiar with your environment as a night class student, go to campus and take some tours during the day. Make sure you know where your classes are before the day they start so you aren’t late trying to find them. If you are taking classes online, then take some time to familiarize yourself with the student website you will be using to get and submit assignments.

 

All students can benefit from a bit of organization, like putting your syllabus into your calendar to keep track of deadlines and tests, and organizing your notebooks for each class. You can also take advantage of some of the free time you have in the summer and get ahead on the reading or assignments already posted. If the teacher hasn’t posted assignments yet but has listed the required textbooks, you can skim through the first chapter or two to be prepared for the first lesson.

 

Finding Friends

Making school friends can be one of the biggest challenges of being a nontraditional student. You may be in a rush getting to and leaving from your night classes, and you may not get many opportunities for genuine conversation when you’re taking classes online. It can be more difficult to make friends in these kinds of environments, but definitely not impossible.

 

You can make friends by pursuing your passions, like by joining a club that you can make it to during the day. If you don’t have room in your schedule during the day or if you live too far from campus, then you can participate in a virtual club, which are becoming more popular. This way, you can interact with more students at your school that also take online classes and feel more connected to your college.

 

Another way to get to know your classmates better is to make a study group. Not only would this allow you to talk to your classmates on a more personal level, but it will also help you excel in your class. To make this work if you are working online, you can make a group video call and study together that way. And of course, you can always be social and invite your classmates to go out and get drinks with you, if they live near enough.

 

Focus on Learning

The most important way to feel like you belong in college is to dedicate enough time and attention to it. Remember that while you should make an effort to fit in socially and make friends, what needs the majority of your attention is your actual classwork. Nothing will make you feel like you belong more in college than passing all of your classes and eventually getting your degree.

 

Though it might be intimidating to be a nontraditional student, remember that it doesn’t matter how you get your education, as long as you put in the necessary work and learn everything you will need to know for your career. Remember that you will learn the same material in your night classes as the students taking the classes during the day, and online classes have been proven to be very effective.

 

At the end of the day, everyone learns in their own way. Being a nontraditional student shows that you are willing to go the extra mile to get your education, so don’t worry about any of the things traditional students might get that you don’t. There are plenty of ways to get those things for yourself, whether it’s getting comfortable in your learning environment, getting organized before classes start, or joining a club and meeting with study groups.