TODAY’S COLLEGE STUDENTS

For many students, college classes are sandwiched in between other obligations-for example a full-time job, parenting, community involvement, even the care of older parents.  Some might be the first members of their families to pursue higher education.  Many students come from economic, racial, or ethnic backgrounds quite different from that of the majority of their classmates.  Thus, today there is no one type of college student, but nevertheless, all of them are progressing through life in predictable, yet unique ways.

Traditional-Age Undergraduate College Students

Statistics indicate that more than 13.4 million students were enrolled in degree-granting U.S colleges and universities in 2001.  Nearly 60% of these students are women.  Minority students make up approximately 28% of American college students and foreign students total 10.1%.

Because two-third (66%) of all undergraduates are traditional-age students.  However, because of significant growth in the proportion of older students, we will also address  a variety of life experiences appropriate to these students.  Unquestionably, the nontraditional-age students in our classes help our traditional-age students understand the wide and varied role that health plays throughout the life cycle.

Nontraditional-Age Undergraduate College Students

In 1999, nearly 33% of American undergraduate college students were classified as nontraditional-age students.  Included in this vast overlapping group are part-time students, military veterans, students returning to college, single parents, older adults, and evening students.  These students enter the classroom with a wide assortment of life experiences and observations.  Most of these students are twenty-five to forty years old.  Read the Learning from Our Diversity box for a closer look at nontraditional-age students.

Many nontraditional-age students are trying to juggle an extremely demanding schedule.  The responsibilities of managing a job, a schedule of classes, and classes, and perhaps a family present formidable challenges.  Performing these tasks on a limited budget compounds the difficulty.  For undergraduate students, concern over paying next month’s rent, caring for aging parents, or finding affordable child care are as common as the challenges that confront students of traditional age.

We ask nontraditional-age students to do two things:  (1) reflect on your own young adult years, and (2) examine your current lifestyle to see how the decisions you made as a younger adult are affecting the quality of your life now.  As a nontraditional-age student, you may have young adult children whose lives you can observe in light of the information you will find.

Minority Students

Although enrollment patterns at colleges and universities vary, the overall number of minority students is increasing.  In 1999, slightly over 26% of all college students were minority students, with African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans, and Native Americans representing the largest groups of minority students.  These students bring a rich variety of cultural influences and traditions to today’s college environment.

Students with Disabilities

People with reported disabilities are another rapidly growing student population, currently comprising 9.3% of all undergraduates.  Improved diagnostic, medical, and rehabilitation procedures coupled with improved educational accommodations have opened up opportunities for these students at an increasing rate.  In addition to students who have visible disabilities, such as blindness, deafness, or a physical disability requiring use of a wheelchair, a greater number of students with “hidden” disabilities are appearing in campuses.  Examples are students with learning disabilities (including attention deficit disorders), those with managed psychiatric and emotional problems, and those recovering from alcohol and substance abuse.  Interestingly, many students with reported “hidden disabilities” often do not consider themselves to be disabled.