Non-Traditional Trauma

Okay, it’s the end of semester, you’re facing finals and essays, and hoping for that little jolt of clarity that comes with deadline panic. You’ve taken a quick breather to watch the 1958 version of The Blob, noting its similarities to how your mind and body feel right about then.

Suddenly, the big gel-like monster kills the helpful elderly town doctor, and you think, “Oh no. All those years of medical school -- shot.” And that’s when you know you need for that semester to end.

At that moment, you’re officially a seasoned student – meaning a savvy as opposed to a “non-traditional” student.

Yes, as an NTS, you’ve been labeled. Maybe you’ve seen the gazillionabytes of information on most colleges’ websites, designed to guide non-traditional students through the procedural maze, which isn’t really so bad, particularly if there’s scholarship money in it.

But you might say nostalgically, “Oh, yes, in the ‘60s, we were all about non-traditional. Haight-Ashbury, Chicago, Dragnet.” And then, with proper reverence, you might pause and add, “I remember the first Woodstock.” Even if you weren't there.

This is different, though, especially since the '60s technically were more nonconformist than non-traditional. True non-traditional now is way less colorful. By most definitions, it is any student age 25 years or older. Not exactly exclusive, is it? To quote my adorable granddaughter, “What the darn?”

Frankly, we Boomers haven’t much in common with today's 25-year-olds other than if one of them looks like us, we probably raised it. As non-traditional students, though, you’re all in the same boat: achieving a balance between family, work and college.

So try Googling your college name along with “non-traditional student” and see what turns up. When I do that with my soon-to-be alma mater, “iowa state university non-traditional student,” the financial aid office tops my results list, proving once again that Iowa State and I have very similar priorities. You can likewise do a search on your school’s website, using the same key words.

Also take a peek at Wikipedia’s write-up on non-traditional students at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-traditional_students? Or play around a little and attach other words, such as “non-traditional student association.” In that case, you’ll get the Association for Non-Traditional Students in Higher Education, or ANTSHE, an acronym in need of a little work. Anyway, find it at http://www.antshe.org/.

Have fun. Honestly, it beats The Blob any day.