That idea of a college student spending four luxurious, carefree years studying is passe. Of the more than 20 million students enrolled at thousands of two- and four-year colleges and universities across the nation, only about one-third fit that traditional description.About 40 percent of all college students are older than 25, according to U.S. Education Department data. More than a third attend classes part-time. Nearly 20 percent work full-time. About 60 percent enroll at four-year public and private schools, while the rest mostly attend community colleges or enroll at for-profit colleges. Very few attend the well-known universities topping the U.S. News and World Report rankings.
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I enjoyed reading the article for it's lack of snowflakery among the students profiled. Still, the author overstates the case that there is a huge diversity among college students. Yes, as a whole, the stats are correct but lumping together community college and four year schools confuses things. Most nontraditional students attend community college while most traditional students attend four year colleges. There is an increasing number of nontraditional students at four year schools but not as many as the article would lead you to believe.
ReplyDeleteWell, at least they'll have a lot in common with their adjunct professors who are juggling family, friends, and multiple jobs, too.
ReplyDeleteNo! You must reply to students' email within 15 minutes.
DeleteDid you mean this to go to the other post? :)
DeleteNo, I meant to say (sarcastically) that although their perficaments are similar, the administration treats them exactly different. Students get defference for their hardships, adjuncts get dismissed if their personal life conflicts with work. I see how that didn't come through.
ReplyDeleteGot it. I was a little slow. We started back today (meetings, meetings, meetings) so I'm preoccupied with having to respond to emails. :)
DeleteInteresting article. I know that many people don't go straight to college for financial reasons, but many "nontrads" I know (including current students, high school friends, and family members) once had the option to be traditional. They made a go at college out of high school and then, not feeling higher education anymore, dropped out (or flunked out). Ten years later, they unhappily realized that they had to complete a degree in order to be competitive for professional advancement. They promptly discovered that going to school when you've got four kids, an ex-spouse, and a mortgage is no joke.
ReplyDeleteAs much as I fully support efforts to make college more non-traditional-friendly, I think people should also understand that there's a reason why 18-22 is a good time for college: you're young, you probably don't have children, your mind is very elastic. So, if you have the means to go to school at a young age, you should. While there are some people out there who undoubtedly aren't mature enough for college at 18, I think there a lot more people who rely on "immaturity" as a crutch, a la "my brain just hasn't matured yet so I make bad decisions! But I can always go back and finish my education later!" It sucks to have to divide your time between reading 200 pages of Sartre and working at your Starbucks job; it sucks harder to divide your time between reading Sartre, changing diapers, haggling with a divorce attorney, and appeasing your boss. It's why I want to tell my on-the-fence students to take the support mom and dad are offering and stop agonizing over whether college is really for them, or whether or not they should "really be here."