THE
SWINGING BRIDGE MESSIAH COLLEGE//THE PULSE
The
Vol. 95 // ED. 5 // November 14, 2013
Nontraditional
Experience
Susan Ryder
Rethinking Achievement [page 5]
Local
Attractions [page 9]
Swim To Get Slim [page 14] Photo by Caroline J. Phillips
A Recollection Of A Nontraditional Student’s Experience At Messiah College By Nicholas Tay
W
hile Messiah’s undergraduate population are in their early twenties or younger, there are a few students on campus who do not fit into this demographic. Susan Ryder, nontraditional student, is one of these people. At Messiah, nontraditional students are typically defined as individuals 23 years or older and/or married. Ryder is both. She chose to pursue a bachelor’s degree in communications after a 25-year academic hiatus, a decision largely influenced by a divine calling on her life. “I felt God pushing me to a new direction in my life. Although I didn’t quite know what it was initially, but I came to realize that He was calling me back to school. At first, I hesitated. I thought it was too much work for me to handle. So I put this thought off for a year. However, I eventually succumbed to this revelation and decided that if it was God’s will, then I should pursue it”.
intertwined with learning. I was at Harrisburg Area Community College (HACC) for two years prior to Messiah.” “My friends asked me where I applied to and my response was just, nowhere else. Just Messiah. There was no plan B. I came here because I believed that it was what God wanted me to do, and it’s been a great experience so far.” Yet, before Ryder entered Messiah, she had to readjust back to nuances of academia. “I wanted to try out higher education before applying to Messiah. Although I have my Associate’s degree from about 25 years ago, it has been a long time since I’ve been in school. I knew I needed to brush up on a few things. HACC was also cheaper and more flexible for me. However I knew Messiah was my final goal.”
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FEATURES EDITOR
Nowhere else. Just
Messiah
Ryder’s decision to pursue communication studies at a Christian college was dependent on her desire to integrate her faith and learning.
When considering Messiah, the most pressing issue for Ryder was her ability to juggle school and her family.
“I chose Messiah because I wanted to study communications, but in an environment where Christianity is
“One of my biggest concerns when I was thinking of returning to school was my family. I have a husband and
three children. Being able to meet the demands of raising a family is difficult. Coming back to school is similar to returning to the workplace after a long hiatus. Like a job, I carry my work back home with me. There’s always something to do – be it papers or homework. My schoolwork does intrude on my main priority, my family time. Thus I have to be especially careful to balance my family life and school life.” On a traditional day, Ryder’s schedule is unlike the traditional student’s. Instead of Lottie meals and dorm rooms, Ryder prepares her meals and keeps her home. “On my Monday, Wednesday and Friday schedule, I usually arrive at Messiah around 9 AM for my only class of the day. On those days, my neighbor helps to put my younger son on the bus. My older son is cyberschooled, so I usually go back home after classes to check on him. I spend the rest of my day doing homework and running errands. On Tuesday and Thursdays, I come in later in the day for my classes, which end at 2. I send my older son to piano practice while getting my younger son off the bus. I then do more homework while preparing dinner as well. Then there’s swim practice and the occasional church meetings. That’s my typical day during the week. Given her responsibilities, Ryder finds it difficult to break into the extracur-
ricular scene at Messiah. Thus she finds that writing for the school newspaper is a great way to contribute to the student body without overcommitting herself. “As a non-traditional student, I think it’s hard to make the most of extracurricular activities on campus. I’ve had to decrease some of my involvement in church and my children’s school events as I didn’t have the time to fully commit to every activity. Plus, my family’s important to me and I have to maintain them as my primary priority. Taking care of my home, transporting my kids to and back from school, making dinner, helping my children with their homework, etc. These are responsibilities that I have to meet while tackling my schoolwork as well. “That’s why I write for the Swinging Bridge. I can do most of the work at home and there are minimal meetings to commit to. Plus, I can meet some of the other (traditional) students. Ryder is careful to keep her priorities in check. While education is important to her, Ryder maintains that her family is most important. “I’m currently a part-time student. I was full-time when I first started. I had four classes and it was just chaotic. But when my family experienced some personal troubles, I came close to quitting. I wasn’t sure if I could manage my time CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 //RECOLLETION