Preferences and Experiences of Traditional and Nontraditional University Students

Abstract

This study compared and contrasted preferences and experiences of traditional and nontraditional students. Students at a midsized state university in the southeast region of the United States were surveyed to determine the number of hours spent working off campus, hours spent studying, their preferred learning format, and current grade point average (GPA). Results of the study revealed that nontraditional students surveyed spent significantly more hours studying and working off campus, and significantly more traditional students than nontraditional students were enrolled in school full-time. No statistically significant differences were observed between groups regarding preferences in learning format and GPAs.

Keywords:

• nontraditional student
• adult learner
• student employment
• student success
• online learning

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kathryn Woods

Kathryn Woods, EdD, is Assistant Professor

George Frogge

George Frogge, EdD, is Assistant Professor at Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, TN.