Old People On Campus: 10 Reasons I love being Non-Traditional

Clearly, someone has been taking pictures of me on campus.

Anyway! Expect me to add to this list once the fall semester starts. But for now, here ya go:

1. Traditional students hate us.

That's right, non-trads are the scary people who ask lots of questions, take class really seriously, and get good grades, thus annoying those traditionals who are a bit less intense about their education. Which means some of them will go to great lengths to avoid me altogether.

2. Except the ones who love us.

The traditional students who are also serious about their education like it when non-trads take the brunt of the traditional students' ire; it makes their lives easier. Also, your serious traditional student knows who he/she wants to buddy up with when it's group project time.

3. And either way, their remarks just bounce off.

Call me all the names you want, annoyed traditional student; I'll have already forgotten you by the time I get to the library to do my research. Or you might be lucky enough to get your own nickname, like Annoying Guy; then I'll just use you as blog fodder.

4. I get tired at 9 PM.

I must do my homework early in the day, because I can't possibly pull an all-nighter. And then I can show up in class the next day feeling refreshed because I went to bed at an old person's bedtime.

5. There is no boy/girl drama for me.

I'm pretty sure this is true for most unmarried non-trads, too, but I can only speak from my married experience. Who's dating whom? Does he like her? Will there be a cute boy in my English class? All questions that I don't have to answer.

6. Or any sororities, either.

I'm sure they have their place for people who are out on their own for the first time and like the idea of having a group of friends all ready & waiting for them to join. But I'm not and I don't, and besides, all the stuff they do costs money. No, thanks.

7. The instructors tend to like us.

This would be a by-product of that "serious student" thing in #1. Don't worry, serious traditionals; the instructors will like you, too. It's the "serious" in this case, not the age, that brings the end result.

8. If I get pregnant while at university, it's a blessing and not a curse.

Yep, I just warn my instructors in one semester about morning sickness and make arrangements for giving birth in the next semester. That's not to say it won't be hard, but rather that I have a plan already in place that doesn't include the words, "Hey, Mum & Dad, I'm moving back in. How do you feel about babysitting?"

9. I can't live in on-campus housing.

Halelujah!

10. But I can make my own food, and need not spend piles of money feeding myself.

No long lines at on-campus or nearby restaurants for me; I brought a sandwich! And some chips! And a water bottle! And a piece of fruit for afters! So I can get some studying done during lunch, and possibly have my evening free.

Yep, I expect this list to grow as time goes on.