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As far as why I decided to attend college—it has always been a dream of mine to earn my degree. Both of my parents are professors, and when I married young and had children, I knew that one day I, too, would follow in my parent's footsteps. I originally attended Douglass, but I needed the security of attending part-time. That is one of the reasons I chose to switch to UCC. I also found the entire UCC system to be adult-friendly. Attending Rutgers has been a dream come true, and as a nontraditional student, I believe that I'm gaining that much more. I appreciate every moment of learning, the remarkable professors, and the stimulating curriculum. I am now a UCC honors student, as well as an English honors student, and I have been busy working on a thesis this summer. I know that my children (ages 15, 14, 12, 8, and 7) are very proud of me, and when they see the time I put into my homework, they are (sometimes) inspired to do the same. I share my successes with them, and they see that hard work and commitment pay off. The best part is that I share Rutgers with them—they have seen the campus, gone into the library, and heard all about my many experiences on campus. I have heard them proudly tell their friends, 'My mother goes to Rutgers!'

I chose University College Community because UCC gave me the opportunity to go to school part time and still maintain my status of being a full time mom, wife, and employee. As an employee of the University, I now have an opportunity to receive a degree. As a nontraditional student, my needs are met here at the University. I wouldn't have been able to return to school otherwise. I now have the liberty to earn a degree as an "adult student attending school part-time, full time, any time, and all the time."

I have been an employee here at Rutgers for over 10 years. Working at Rutgers has afforded me the opportunity for a comfortable living and an education. During the course of marriage and raising a son, it was very hard to focus on my education. I had two very important people relying on me for support, time and love. Now, that I am a widow due to the untimely death of my husband, and my son is now married with three beautiful children putting me in the "Grandmother" category, I have more time for me.

The deans and counselors at UCC have been angels in my eyes. Since April 2006, I've been taking classes each semester and plan to continue to do so until I walk with the other graduates in the "Class of 2010."

Thank-you Rutgers-UCC!!!

Returning to School as a Nontraditional Student

I was employed as an optician for many years at a small local optical store. Although I enjoyed my job and the convenience of being accessible to my children, my professional options were becoming limited. Opticians are not in high demand due to procedures such as Lasik. Also, my employers had informed us that they were planning to sell the business within the next two years. I felt this was my threshold of opportunity to make a change.

I was motivated to return to school to complete my degree shortly after attending my daughter's graduation. Watching her accept her Master’s degree, for which she had worked so hard, filled me with pride. She inspired and encouraged me to complete my education as did my husband and my two boys. They all knew that I had regrets about not completing my education years before, so I took my first step by applying to Rutgers University.

I chose University College Community because I was the perfect example of the Nontraditional student; adult, some college credits, lots of work experience, and a desire to complete a personal goal.

University College Community has been very supportive and encouraging in my educational journey. Shaheen Fatima has been exceptional in guiding me during this time when I needed all the support I could get. I had many concerns about returning to school full time, but I felt it was the smartest and quickest way to get my degree. It was quite obvious that I was considerably older. I wasn't sure I would even remember how to study; also, I wasn't sure how the other students or teachers would react towards me.

Fortunately, I have had wonderful experiences with both professors and students who help me, encourage me and inspire me. I have a great appreciation for the level of intelligence demonstrated in so many of my classes. Students are so much more sophisticated than I was at 18. When I am invited to participate in a study group with students who are younger, I feel they are reaching out to help me fulfill my goal. They have been my best cheerleaders and have often told me how "cool" they think it is that I'm changing my life.

My major is Spanish and I have chosen this because of my family background and because of my desire to teach. I expect to receive my bachelors degree in 2008 (I hope) and complete my masters in 2009, after having been accepted into the Graduate School of Education this past spring.

I am happy to share my experience with anyone who is considering returning to school. It is never too late to strive toward goals; you are never too old to have dreams and taking one small step can change your life in just one year. It did for me!

Rose Woehr Family Photo

"I was motivated to return to school and earn a degree because of the earning potential and employment opportunities." —Greg Machos

As the first person in my family to go to college, I wanted to be the next person to get a degree after my sister graduated college in 1994. I had graduated in the top ten (eighth) out of a class of 265 at my high school in 1988, and I owed it to myself to get four years worth of a college education culminating with a degree. Most importantly, the value of a four year college degree is critical when looking for employment, especially in these changing times with more global competition and easier ways to reach far off places in the world.

I was motivated to return to school and earn a degree because of the earning potential and employment opportunities. I found over time that the Associates Degree that I had earned before coming to UCC in the spring of 1994 was not enough. Another factor was pride. I was never the greatest athlete or most talented musician, but I was always an outstanding student. As time passed, I grew more determined to get my degree in spite of whatever obstacles would get in my way.

I chose UCC because I wanted to commute and not have to travel far to take classes while still being able to attend part-time. Most importantly though, no other college campus at Rutgers offers anything for part-time students.

Being a non-traditional student has both some advantages and drawbacks. One advantage is that I can study and work in the comforts of my home. However, a drawback is that I'm often unable to be in the loop with regards to some changes in university policy or an issue surrounding a class I'm taking. It also hurt from a standpoint that I felt somewhat of an outsider, and being older made it difficult to build many relationships with much younger students . . .

Because of my hard work, persistence, and the support of my family and friends, I was finally able to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Computer Science in May, 2007. I also attained a minor in Meteorology as well as a certificate in Technical Writing from the Rutgers Writing Program.

Click here to meet some students from the Postbaccalaureate Prehealth Program.