But What About the Others?

Back to school time! Woo hoo! Freshmen get their first taste of college life- living in communal dorms and/or taking classes with a completely new set of people in a new setting. It's exciting, scary, and a host of other emotions all at the same time. And for the transfer students, returning adults, and others that are not "typical freshmen" it is as well.

Watching all the hullabaloo (I like that word) this week online via blog posts, Tweets, Facebook posts, news articles, etc about this year's freshman class I'd like to take a moment and give a shout-out to the non-traditional students starting at a new college this year too.
As a transfer student it's odd starting- you're older than the freshmen so you don't quite fit in there because you've got some college under your belt already, and you haven't formed the relationships yet at this college that you can see all around you from friends reuniting after summer break. It can be easy to start to withdraw into yourself and go down a path of never really getting to know anyone at the school. Then you sit there hoping that this school will be better than whatever caused you to transfer out of the last one. From my experience the first day can be even more scary as a transfer student- you feel out of place for a bit.
Then, as an adult it's REALLY awkward! You have a different lifestyle, different responsibilities and you worry about different things. (I remember wondering every day before class if I'd have to show up late again... because I was stuck in rush hour traffic in Minneapolis trying to get from my job to the University at 5:30 PM.)Then there is the awkward bit of being in class... often dressed very differently than the students (and more like the professor) which doesn't effect your education but sure makes you self concious! And it seems like no one will really talk to you... you're different, and there is always the vague feeling that the other students in the class either A) feel a sense of superiority in that you're much older and having to take the same class or B) are vaguely intimidated by you. Either way, it's uncomfortable to be an adult in an undergraduate class. (I may have only been 25 in a class of 18-19 year olds, but at those stages of your life those 6 years can be a gulf...)

So... as you go back to class, take note of those other people sitting somewhat awkwardly in your classroom. They're just as nervous about class as you are! (Trust me!)