Bean and Metzner (1985, p. 489) define non- traditional students as follows: A non-traditional student is older than 24, or does not live in a campus residence (e.g. is a commuter), or is a part-time student, or some combination of these three factors; is not greatly influenced by the social
environment of the institution; and is chiefly concerned with the institution’s academic offerings (especially courses, certification, and degrees).
Part time work
For some students having to take a part time job is essential to afford University life. Walpole (2003) further found that low socio economic status students studied less, spent more time working off campus, and ultimately had lower levels of involvement and achievement. This holds implications as the student works at home at the weekends. In this case the student lives on campus but still lives close to home. Travelling home every weekend for work allows people to keep old support networks which may contradict what they need to do as a student or academically. They may also miss
opportunities to meet likeminded students because they do not feel as much need to make many university friends if they are still regularly interacting with friendship groups at home.
‘Yeah basically so I go back and work Friday and Saturdays because it’s only an hour in the car and my mates drive back so I do that then come back here on a
Sunday then obviously my studies through the week.’ (Jon)
This ‘Part time student life’ is echoed in the quote below from Danny. Who again lives on campus but has not immersed in the full university experience. They have not really moved away as they are still close to friends and family. This need to work is especially prevalent for working class students who have less family financial support which this University traditionally attracts.
‘Yes but I commute home at weekends because I work on a Saturday which is in Sheffield but I’m living in halls down at which is good.’ (Danny)
This is in stark contrast to the experience of Sarah who sees University as a home away from home. She is still engaging with friends from home but making it part of the university experience.
‘Not a lot, I’ve only been back twice since I’ve been here. I love it here can’t get enough of it. I do see my friends from home all the time, they always come up here or when I’m down there we all go out together. Like this weekend when I went home there was a party going on so I surprised them all. I always see them
on facetime or something like that.’ (Sarah)
Commuting Students
Most commuting students are aware that they may find it more difficult to integrate. These initial thoughts and feelings may also create a psychological barrier that they do not ‘fit in’. This can be amplified by not having the same social opportunities to bond. This can also affect University attachment (Raey et al., 2010)
‘It’s better than I thought it would be to be fair. When I first started the first week was a bit shaky because I didn’t know anybody. With me commuting as well I
didn’t really get chance to meet people who were residents.’ (Nathan)
Some students can arrive with a totally different mind-set of not wanting to fit in. They are at University for functional learning, not wanting the immersive experience, they are there for a qualification in order to further career aspirations. In the quote below it is almost like they have already decided that they won’t fit in, therefore not made the effort to try and discover if they could fit in.
‘Erm I don’t think that I fit in with them at all but I’m not that fussed about that, I expected it really. I can talk to them about general stuff like TV and like with the residential. In my development group there is a few girls who I will sit and talk to and there are a few people that will come up and talk. Then there is the other half
or type of student who you can tell are very immature, I’ve dealt with all that when I was younger with people like that and of that age. But now if they want to be idiots and mess around I kind of just let them get on with it and try and not get involved with it because I will just try and mother them and it will do my head in.’
(Carla)
Lower socio- economic background
Many of the students this University attracts are from a lower socio economic background compared to the ‘traditional student’.Working-class students have been shown to approach university with apprehension and higher levels of uncertainty (Lehmann 2007a).
‘They’re different to people from home especially academically, they want to do well whereas people back home like live on a council estate so they all think they
are bad.’ (Jen)
In addition to this many are also the first generation of their family to attend University. This can be an issue as families will in general want to support their child while at University, but in some cases they will not have the personal experience to tailor this support accordingly.
‘None of them, I think I’m the first one although my cousins went but not immediate family. My sister went to college on did media and the other did veterinary, she’s a veterinary nurse now. My sister who did media did nothing
with it, I think they had the option to, they are like 10 years older than me, I was talking to one of my sisters about it and she was like no I never went and I just got
a job and that was good enough for me so she didn’t need to. My dad does labouring so and joinery so he did it all at collage and stuff like that and that was all he needed to do. My mum didn’t but she teaches like disabled people with like pottery so she’s always done like vocational stuff so they have always got to a certain level and realised that’s all we need and then continued it in their work
life.’ (Carla)
‘My mum and dad didn’t go, my brother is younger and I don’t think he will go. One of 5 cousins went but the others didn’t go, my grandparents didn’t go either.
So for me it’s always just been a goal to go to university. I’ve always just wanted to do it school sixth form then university.’ (Rosie)
Academic ability
The entry requirements of the University are also at the lower end of the scale which means some of the students are not strong academically. Academic integration can be more difficult for students from state schools as they have to learn the procedures of University as well as course content (Fortin et al., 2016). Meaning support from the University and through social networks is essential if they are going to progress. Some students are in the position of being a first generation student, not academically gifted, with a part time job commuting to University. All these factor exacerbate the risk of dropping out so higher levels of support are required.
‘Making friends is always a worry but it’s been alright. I suppose there’s the academic side and all the independent work which I’m not used to. You do a bit in
BTEC and GCSE. That was a worry though because I thought if I didn’t keep up with the work then I wouldn’t succeed.’ (Hugo)
‘So really I haven’t written proper essays ever. The girlfriend does politics, she got a first in politics at ***** last year, this year she is doing a masters in foreign politics so she is writing 12000 word essays so she has been looking through my
work, she looked at my diagnostic essay and told me to do this and do that.’ (Charlie)
‘I suppose if I’m sat in a lecture and I don’t have a clue what they are talking about …. I feel like how is this relevant, those days I feel like it’s been a waste of
time being in lectures.’ (Rosie)