University of Arkansas Fayetteville - Razorback Yearbook (Fayetteville, AR)

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According to the Office of Institutional Research, 31 % OF THE STUDENT POPULATION AT THE University is NON-TRADITIONAL. A NON-TRADITIONAL STUDENT MAY BE DEFINED AS ONE who: ■ is 25 years of age or older ■ has interrupted the pursuit of higher eduction ■ has worked or is holding a job while in school ■ is a parent IN addition to juggling academic responsibilities, exchange students Natalya Totkalo and Irina Lyublinskaya worried about the safety of their families in the U.S.S.R. The world watched as the country’s political structure and name changed. A. THOMAS PHOTO

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While camping out proved to be a big party for all those who stayed down in the pit, students complained that camping was not an effective way to buy tickets. Although students had some com¬ plaints, they also had fun calling the Hogs while waiting on the ticket counter to open. (K. BYERS PHOTO) Early Friday, tents were beginning to pop-up and more people set up camp in preparation for the weekend-long wait for tickets. Even though students camped out, some were unable to purchase tickets due to cutting in line at the ticket booth. (M. ROBERTS PHOTO) • CAMPING FDR TICKETS 21

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For a growing number of non-traditional students, demands go beyond studying for an upcoming test. They may have to care for children or aging parents. Married students must consider the needs of their spouses as well as the needs of their professors. It’s a balancing act that may seem impossible, but about a third of the University’s students do it daily. A KING time out from her daily routine, ufany Byers reads to her SOn Jordan. Byers, a 20-year-old junior majoring i n business, earned 14 hours during the fall semester, worked part- “me as a receptionist fr r the Carlson Terrace office, and was a ftdl-time wife and mother. K- BYERS PHOTO N on-tradi¬ tional students face a variety of challenges beyond school that their traditional colleagues have yet to experience. Historically, univer¬ sities and colleges, including the UA, weren’t designed i mind. students need some consid eration of outside forces,” said Julie Minkel, a staff member at the Office for Non-Traditional Students. “It’s tough to balance the demands of family and school.” Unfortunately, there’s more to being a student than tomorrow’s biology lab and reading the first 20 chapters of the Iliad. Many students work or belong to social or professional organizations that place extra demands on their time. There’s laundry to do, groceries to buy, and bathrooms to clean: everyday life whether or not you’re a student. For a growing number of students, however, off-campus demands go beyond looking out for themselves. They may have to care for children or aging parents. Married students must consider the needs of their spouses as well as the needs of their professors. Besides papers to write and homework to complete, there are mortgages and utilities and taxes. It’s a balancing act that may seem impossible, but about a third of the students at the University do it daily. Just for now, while their numbers are growing, they’re known as non-traditional students. If enrollment trends continue, however, non-traditional students will be so numerous at the University that the term may become outmoded. A survey conducted by researchers at the University of Maryland at College Park found that age was the most com¬ mon identifier of non-traditional students. Typically, students 25 years old or older are considered non-traditional. Tradi¬ tional college students enter school immediately following graduation from high school, and they are from 18 to 22 years old. But age isn’t the only, or perhaps even the most significant, criteria for determining who is a non-traditional student. Married students, students who are single parents, and students who work are considered non-traditional. Non-tradi¬ tional students don’t tend to have the same level of financial support from Continued on the next page NON-TRADITIONAL STUDENTS 23