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Minnesota State University, Mankato
married divorced
veterans
Commutes more than 15 miles
WEDNESDAY
H 72 • L 52
THURSDAY
H 65 • L 42
parents
24 years old +
Everyday struggles
The life of a nontraditional student KATHERINE KNUTSON
staff writer
On a campus where diversity courses throughout the classrooms, one group in particular finds themselves searching for ways to relate to the majority of the student body. The Nontraditional Student Center, located in CSU 173, caters to those that are looking for a supportive community that understands the frustration of going back to school later in life. A nontraditional student can be a single parent, someone who is married or divorced, a veteran, a student older than 24 seeking their first undergraduate degree, or someone who commutes 15 miles or more to school. Shannon Donahue, a Junior from Bloomington, Minnesota, is seeking her first degree and made it clear that going back to school was the right choice for her. “I tried to get into pharmacy school but I needed a
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degree to go into the program. I was a full time tech and I did not like working a dead end job. I saw school as the answer to having a better career,” Donahue said. She is not alone when it comes to people deciding that a college degree is the answer to a better future. According to recent university data, there are more than 1,500 students at Minnesota State University, Mankato who are older than 24 seeking their first undergraduate degree. When it comes to living on campus as a nontraditional student, Donahue noticed it was hard at first to adjust to the fact that not everyone was her own age. “I struggled at first with being the older student living on campus, because people were much younger than I was, but eventually I adjusted to the fact that I needed to embrace the difference and start to learn exactly who was all living on my f loor,” Donahue said. Nontraditional students
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often have other obligations besides classwork that make it harder for them to keep up with school. Donahue not only is a full time student, but also has to work a part-time job in order to help pay for her tuition, supplies and living expenses. “Working part-time in order to pay for classes, and trying to maintain school work is tough. It doesn’t leave me a lot of time to spend with friends, because I am either trying to earn money or I am spending hours reading for a class,” Donahue said. With the stress of trying to maintain a steady paycheck and good grades, there comes the added notion that the nontraditional student works even harder to earn a degree. “I feel as if having worked for a while before heading back to school put into perspective that my mindset to finish a degree is different than someone who has just come out of high school,” Donahue said. The Nontraditional Cen-
ter understands that stress and welcomes those who are seeking refuge in finding information about how to deal with educational difficulties, professional networking and resource development. Donahue believes sharing stories about her life as a nontraditional student can help people better understand where she is coming from and how she got to where she is today. “I find that talking about my past helps those that are younger better understand how similar we are,” Donahue said. It’s that kind of encouragement that helps blaze the way for other nontraditional students to see that they can be mentors to those that are also feeling the same way. That encouragement goes along with the fact that nontraditional students are encouraged to take advantage of the numerous resources that are available to them. The Nontraditional Student Center not only
provides a sense of community, but also believes in the idea that everyone deserves a second chance when it comes to finishing an education.