CULTURE
BY NATALIE COMFORT
dena City College, she remembers
CARVING OUT THEIR PLACE
how nervous she was about arranging her schedule to graduate without too many speedbumps. She felt relieved when advisors reached out to help her, making her class choices less of a challenge. But forming a social support
THE COLLEGE EXPERIENCE FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF NON TRADITIONAL STUDENTS
network was not a similarly seamless experience: “One thing about school I enjoyed was meeting new people and having all classes on Zoom made it
F
or most students, the transition was introduced to LBSU through her difficult to get to know classmates or into LBSU has a learning curve, study abroad agency in Sweden and make study groups.” As most students not only academically, but also decided it was right for her because transfer after their second year, the
financially and socially. For some, such of its proximity to the beach, beauti- time constraint of only being at a as transfer, international, and mature ful campus, and the area’s diversity. college for two years makes it difficult students, the learning curve is often So far, those aspects have been what to find a community before graduatsteeper. These students are often she has hoped: “What I’ve enjoyed the ing. Still, Corado says, “I’m just thankjuggling complicated credit transfer most is probably the close proximity ful that I at least got to experience the policies, adjusting to a foreign country, to the beach… there is something to campus in person before I graduated or balancing multiple jobs while trying do or places/restaurants/shops/malls and got to know some of my classto make friends in a new environ- around every corner. If you want to get mates and professors.” ment. Unfortunately, with the advent out and do something you always have
Another transfer student,
of online learning during the Covid-19 options. I like that it isn’t too far to drive Isabella Terrazes, who is now in her pandemic, some of the social barriers to Newport or Huntington so that you third semester at LBSU, described a that nontraditional students face have can discover new places.” Although at disconnect in people’s expectations been compounded. Adequate social times she has felt “overwhelmed with of her and her own experiences: “I feel support, both from other students moving so far away, living alone for like I’m new and still learning how to and faculty, makes a huge difference the first time, and also having a lot of do things like a lot of freshmen.” Since in how well these students handle school work”, she finds the resources she completed many GEs while in unique challenges. The perspectives offered to students have helped her, highschool through her local commuof nontraditional students offer unique citing study groups, office hours, and nity college, she was able to transfer feedback on how LBSU’s resources major specific support groups. help, where they need work, and how
Managing
in as a sophomore. During her first
ac ad e m i c s , year at LBSU, online classes were the
the ‘college experience’ doesn’t look especially with the complications of only options so she didn’t make many the same for everyone.
transfer credits and major specific friends. Now that campus has opened
For Marina Ilic, an interna- requirements, are often struggles up, she enjoys going to the tabletop
tional student from Sweden, her first for transfer students to navigate. For board-game club and spending time at semester has come with a basketful Stephanie Corado, a senior who trans- the wellness center swimming, weight of new responsibilities to handle. She ferred to LBSU last year from Pasa- lifting, and rock-climbing. When
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