Commuter/Non-Traditional Students

Husson's varied program offerings make it a great school for a variety of students of all ages, backgrounds and needs. Sometimes non-traditional and commuter students can feel a bit more disconnected or unaware of resources available on campus.  They also often have needs that are often quite different from traditional students living on campus. In this section we will do our best to supply helpful information so students can access it from one place.

Commuter Students

Commuter students are two-thirds of our student population.  Because our commuter students help to make our campus a richer, and more diverse community, Husson has started a Commuter Assistant Program to help support commuter students better. 

Our Commuter Assistant (CA) program is designed to help our entering commuters by easing that transition.  Husson CA's are experienced students who know the University, excel academically and are involved in the campus community.  The CA's strive to assist in the transition of incoming commuter students and help them with any questions they have regarding the University experience.  They encourage participation in campus clubs and organizations and often will accompany incoming students to University-sponsored events. 

If you would like more information contact the Office of Student Life at 207-941-7107.

Top Struggles and Solutions for the Commuter Student

Difficulty Meeting and Making Friends: Being a commuter can put you at a disadvantage for meeting and making friends because you may only be on campus long enough for a class or, it just seems like everyone knows each other.  If you're an extrovert, it may not be that difficult of a problem to overcome.  If you're an introvert however, it can be even more difficult.  

Possible Solutions: Talk and get to know people in your classes from day one. Create a study group or get a study partner for classes. Gravitate toward activity.  There are several places where students hang out, go there and get involved. Participate in some campus activities. Get a job on campus. 

Parking: There are limited spots and commuters share lots with staff and faculty.  This can make it difficult and frustrating to find a place to park and may take up a lot of valuable time. 

Possible Solutions: Leave a little earlier than you would initially plan to allow for the parking space search. Find other commuters who live near you and carpool. Use alternative transportation; walk, bus, bike.

Accessing/Knowing Services: You will surely know about some of the services available to you through orientation and just your regular day-to-day dealings with the school.  However, it is easy to get overwhelmed at an orientation or get so caught up in your own routine/life, that you may not even think about what services may be available to make your time at school better. 

Possible Solutions: Start with your advisor.  Make an appointment as soon as you can and use this person as a resource.  Give yourself a tour.  Walk around campus and find out where things are and what people do. Use the Husson Website to get an overview of services on campus. http://www.husson.edu/studentlife. Find out the hours of operation of services you may need. Add phone numbers and emails of services in your contacts, even if you think you won't need them.

Ask other students.           

Balancing School/Commute/Work/Home: Commuters often have more going on than just school.  Many are working full time or close to full time, have families, or have to help contribute to their families.  They have to juggle multiple obligations with limited time. There is no "one size fits all" solution but below are some things to keep in mind.

Possible Solutions: Create and keep a schedule of what's going on and when it needs to get done. Remember balance and track what is taking up all or none of your time.  Make adjustments. Communicate with family, friends, teachers, peers, co-workers. Don't forget the basics; eat, sleep, exercise, drink water. Recognize your limits and plan accordingly.  Learn to say, "No," when you really can't do something. (Typically when asked to help others)

Other Resources (Commuters)

Commuter Student's Guide to the Galaxy - An article from USA Today.

5 Ways Commuter Students Can Make Campus Feel Like Home - Article from US News and World Reports. 

Special Tips for Freshman College Commuters - Discussion Board found on College Confidential. 

Non-Traditional Students

Though there is some overlap with the commuter student, the non-traditional student has their own challenges.  Non-traditional students are varied and though we tend to think of the non-traditional student as someone who is older, a non-traditional student is much more than just an age. 

Non-traditional students can be older, they may have children, be married or single, have a full time job they rely on to support themselves, are independent of others, may or may not need to support others while they are in school, etc.  Essentially a non-traditional student is someone who doesn't live on campus and tends to have other obligations besides school. 

Time management?  There isn't enough time: One of the primary struggles is often how to fit everything in without feeling completely depleted by the end of the day.  As non-traditional students often have to contend with family obligations, work, commuting, doing homework, and still finding time to sleep, eat, shower, etc., feeling like they have any time for anything, is rare.

Possible Solutions: Learn how to say, "No" to things and people that aren't that important. You may really want to go to a PTA meeting, or help a friend by watching their kids.  The question is, can you afford to do those things and will they benefit you in short term or long term? Time management is not just about fitting everything in, it's learning how to recognize what doesn't fit, may not fit for a few weeks/months/years, what might be able to fit sometimes and knowing what absolutely HAS to fit.  This can only be accomplished with figuring out what is most important and getting rid of the rest or at least reducing it greatly for the time that you are attending school. 

Feeling out of place: Whether it's because of age, having a full time job, feeling like studying takes longer, not feelings as skilled with technology, or feeling that there is too much at stake to feel like breaks are an option; non-traditional students often feel a bit disconnected and out of place from other students.  This can lead to feeling isolated, more pressure and may make it difficult to focus on what needs to get done. 

Possible Solutions: Find like minded others.  Pay attention in your classes to people who seem to have the same kind of work ethic or similar backgrounds.  Do not judge by age.  You will shut out many quality people.  Join some of the professional organizations on campus.  Don't assume that campus activities are not for you, pay attention to what is happening on campus and take advantage of the things that make sense for you.  If you're a parent, seek out other students with children in your classes or on campus.  Start or join a parenting student support system.  

Fewer supports at the ready: Many non-traditional students may have families with small children, may have elderly parents they are care taking, may be single parents, and may not have access to the same kind of supports, financial, emotional or physical, as traditional students.  

Possible solutions: Identify possible supports.  This means not only in school but outside of school  If you are a parent and need resources for how to deal with the dual task of going to school while raising children,  check out the Parenting while in college link.  Think about what may be an obstacle during the school year and make a plan. Recognize where there will be gaps and plan how you will manage them when they occur. Gaps can include money, childcare, sick parent/child, or even your own health.  Communicate with people what you need or where you are finding obstacles.  You never know who may have a great idea or even be able to help you overcome the challenges.   

Other Resources (Non-Traditional Students)

Colleges embrace older students, part-timers - Found on USA Today College.  Article dates 2/14/11

Colleges are Failing Their Biggest Group of Students - Article found on theatlantic.com. dated 1-29-14

Homeless college students and the fight to escape poverty through education - Article found on theguardian.com. Dated 6/8/2014