If you are a nontraditional student—someone who is not an eighteen-year-old recent high school graduate and may have a job and their own family—you might find that college presents both opportunities and challenges. While college can be an opportunity for a new beginning, working full-time and attending college at night, on weekends, or both can mean extra stress, especially with a family at home.

Nontraditional students often experience a lack of freedom because of many important competing responsibilities. Working, caring for a family, and having other responsibilities will compete for the time and attention it takes to do your best or even to simply stay in college. You might wonder how you will ever get through college and still manage to take care of your family or others who depend on you. You might worry that they won’t understand your need to study many hours outside class—behind closed doors or in your campus library—to keep up with your coursework. As you walk around college, you might feel uncertain about your ability to keep up with academic work. You also might find it difficult to relate to younger students who sometimes don’t seem to take academic work seriously.

In spite of your concerns, you should know that many college instructors value working with nontraditional students because your life experiences have shown you the importance of an education. Nontraditional students tend to be very motivated because of their level of maturity and experience that will make up for any initial difficulties they might have. As an experienced person, you will also bring a unique and rich point of view to what you’re learning in your classes.