Traditional Students Versus Non-Traditional: Is One Better Than the Other?

According to the Weber State Non-Traditional Student Center, to be non-traditional a student must be: disabled, 25 years of age or older, married or divorced, have legal dependents, and/or be a veteran.

Now that it is understood what makes a student non-traditional, the question becomes: Can it be said that being a traditional student is any better than being a non-traditional student? According to several interviews that were conducted, the advantages of one situation over the other may not be so clearly defined.

Marcus Law, a 23 year old Electronic Media student, currently registered for the fall semester at Weber State University, talked about his college experience. When asked why he felt it was important to go to school, Law said: “I feel it is important to invest in myself; and in order to compete in the current job market.”

When asked about how sure he feels about the current direction of his education, Law said: “I would not be surprised if I completely changed my direction a few times before my college education is over.” Electronic Media is Law’s second declaration for a major in the 2 ½ years that he has been attending college.

“I really enjoy listening to a skilled teacher do their job and learning more about whatever subject they are teaching” said Law, when asked what he liked best about attending school, “When else can I learn in such an atmosphere where I can ask someone who spent so much time learning and doing research in their field of study?”

Heidi Cammack is a 30 year old Dental Hygienist who graduated from college as a traditional student. When asked why she decided to go to school, Cammack said: “Initially I went because that is just what you do after High School.”

When asked why she chose her field of study, Cammack said it seemed practical. She liked knowing that when she graduated she would know exactly what she would be doing. “It wasn’t a degree that was so open like Business or English where you might get a good job, or you might end up with a degree and unable to land a job that would improve your situation financially,” she said.

Cammack admitted that she couldn’t remember how many majors she considered before settling on Dental Hygiene. “I know that I was going to major in Communications and then decided on Dental Hygiene.”

“It’s nice to be a traditional student in that you don’t have the responsibilities of a husband, family, mortgage, etc.” said Cammack, “You can focus on school and investing time in your future without feeling guilt that other areas of your life are being neglected.”

Now married with a 2 year old son, and another child on the way, Cammack commented: “Having my degree and training gives me a lot of peace of mind knowing I could provide for my family if our situation changed and I needed to do that. I think an education is one of the best insurances for the unseen storms of life that could unexpectedly come.”

On the other side of the issue, there’s Tracy Tidwell. A forty-two year old mother of two, she recently returned to school after a 21 year absence.

When asked why she decided to go back to school, Tidwell answered: “I always knew I wanted to go back someday and get a degree.” Why now? “My children were getting older and not needing as much from me and as I could see my role changing, I thought it was a good time to go back and get my degree.”

In response to a question about what, if anything, could be considered an advantage that she has as a non-traditional student over those that are more traditional, Tidwell responded: “The biggest advantage I think is that in a lot of ways I take my education much more seriously,” Tidwell said. “As a traditional student your social life is so important that it can really overshadow your academic life…I don’t take it as much for granted as I did as a younger college student.”

Of course, there are difficulties associated with the life of a non-traditional student as well. In an interview with Emily Petersen, who recently graduated with a Master’s degree in English, she discussed what was most difficult for her.

“Childcare was the most challenging,” said Petersen. “However, my program offered a lot of night classes, so my husband could help. I also used the hourly childcare services on campus for the last two years when I had to spend more time on campus during the day.”

Petersen also feels that non-traditional students have an advantage over the more traditional students. “As a graduate student, my department let me teach classes and I felt a huge difference between me and the freshmen I taught,” Petersen went on to say. “They had little life experience, so when we read and talked about essays for class, they did not have much to offer to the conversation because they did not know much about the real world.”

“Traditional students have freedom; however, I don’t think that means they use their time more wisely. It depends on the person,” said Petersen.

So, to bring up the question posed at the beginning of this story: Between traditional and non-traditional, is there a more preferable route to gaining one’s education? The short answer here seems to be no.

Everyone’s experiences are different because individuals have different needs. There are two sides to every story, and who is to say which is right?