Barb, a 36-year-old mother and wife, longs desperately to go back to school to earn a bachelor’s degree.
“I was desperate for love and safety, so instead of waiting for the start of college, I got married at age 19,” Barb said. “I worked full time from the day after high school graduation in a variety of manual jobs until landing a job at a local hospital in the file department.
“All during this time, I was trying to follow the path my family expected of me: marry, work, have kids, buy a house. I had wanted to go to school but had always found a reason not to go. No money, kids to raise, husband would feel intimidated since he did not have a degree, it was always something. But now when I listened to my own wants and goals, I decided that a degree having to do with my passion, computers, was what would fill part of the void in me. I signed up for college courses toward a B. A. in technical writing.”
Barb is an actual student referenced in the book, “Traditional Degrees for Non-Traditional Students,” by Carole Fungaroli.
Many adults feel the same way Barb did. They realize after having a family or getting married that they want to go to college. Studies have shown that non-traditional students tend to be more focused and do better academically compared to traditional students.
“I always wanted to get a bachelor’s degree,” said Shirley Hart, a 46-year-old recent graduate. “But kids and marriage got in the way of my essential plan, so when I enrolled in school, I decided to do something for me.”
Hart graduated from VCU’s bachelor of interdisciplinary studies program with a degree in customer relations in May of 2003. She graduated magna cum laude and received the non-traditional studies achievement award for academic excellence.
Hart said her experience made her more sympathetic towards students. She also did not have a problem finding study partners or students wanting to copy her notes.
Hart said her family was very supportive.
“Me and my son attended VCU at the same time for a year and a half,” she said. “I would see him on campus and we would wave at each other. My daughter, on the other hand, loved asking me did I do my homework.”
Richard Doran is also a VCU alumnus who decided to go back to school as a non-traditional student.
Doran served as a Marine for 13 years and worked as a narcotics detective in Newport News before deciding, at the age of 40, to go back to college.
“My wife persuaded me too,” said Doran. “She got offered a great job in Richmond, so we moved up here with our son. She always knew I wanted to get a degree and thought this would be the perfect time.
“I called universities in the area and told them what I wanted to do and all of them said we don’t offer that here,” he said. “When I called VCU, they asked me what I wanted to do, and I told them, and they said, ‘No problem.'”
Like Hart, Doran also graduated magna cum laude, but with a degree in foreign policy and a minor in political science.
Doran said that he did not think he had the discipline of going straight to college and credits his military training with helping him become successful as a student.
Both students say they do not have any regrets about going back to school, but they did say that there were some challenges along the way.
Although Doran said he worked hard and had a lot of fun, getting back into school mode was difficult for him.
“Making the adjustment from the ‘working’ environment to an academic one was hard for me,” said Doran.
Even though Hart and Doran have graduated, they have not left VCU.
Doran is a graduate assistant teacher in the history department and hopes to teach foreign policy one day.
“I would love to teach for the university’s new homeland security department,” Doran said.
Hart now works at the student accounting department on campus, and she empathizes with the students who come into the department for assistance.
Based on U.S. Census Bureau projections, the number of non-traditional students ages 25 to 64 will rise significantly by 2015.
Shannon Edwards, a 26-year-old senior political science major, does not feel alone since she has enrolled in school.
“I’m 26 and decided to go back to school a couple of years ago,” said Edwards. “There are a lot of people in my classes that are older than me, so I don’t feel like a non-traditional student. The older students look out for each other.”