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Non-Traditional Students: The Joy of Living Life Out of Order
2026-10-13
In 2013, my mother returned to SUU as a non-traditional student. She was a forty-year-old mother of four and hadn’t been a degree-seeking student since her early twenties. She checked all the boxes for the definition of a “non-traditional student.” But despite the challenges, she thrived. She graduated with her bachelors’ degree in Creative Writing, completed a masters in Public Administration, and is currently pursuing a doctorate of education. She had reentered college having found a path in life that she was excited to walk, and she ran along it finding joy and success in the process. At one point during my own non-traditional education at SUU, I was deep in the weeds of research when I came across this term. “Queer nonlinear temporality.” Admittedly, I laughed out loud. Surely this is the most niche, jargony, non-sense phrase in all of academia. The phrase refers to the idea that queer people tend to live their lives “out of order.” Life milestones like romantic relationships, moments of self-discovery, or educational opportunities occur at different times than they do for the average person. The idea connected with me as a queer, nearly 30-year-old undergraduate with a family and a full-time job. At the time, I regretted that I’d lived life out of order. I believed I’d be better off if I could’ve lived the traditional college experience. But the research says otherwise. A 2019 study found that non-traditional students were more goal-oriented, asked more questions, enjoyed classes more, and found more educational success than their peers. According to these results, being non-traditional is both an advantage and an opportunity. As I look back on my non-traditional education at SUU, I believe the research. It was a pain to have me in class, I’m sure, because I couldn’t keep my mouth shut. My love for the content and desire to learn had me derailing more than a few lectures, but it resulted in me building meaningful relationships with my professors, and finding joy and success in my education. And when I finally graduated last spring, I was congratulated first by a hug from my four-year-old son. I can attest that there is joy in living life out of order. If your temporality is non-linear, find the joy that comes from entering big life moments with more maturity, more direction, and more passion than you would have otherwise. References: Russell, M. E. (2019). Nontraditional Students Academic Success Experiences at a Large Public University in the American South: A Phenomenological Investigation. Electronic Theses and Dissertations, (2745). https://digitalcommons.memphis.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3853&context=etd
