NOT the "Typical College Student"

Many years ago, the majority of college students spent four years at school. In those four years they would attend class, participate in activities on campus, hang out with friends, go to parties, and spend lots of time studying. Many of these students lived in dorms, or at home with their families, and most did not work. If they did work, it was part-time and often on campus.

I used to believe that I was missing something because college has been so much different for me. However, as I have talked to people in my classes and taken a look around my campus, I realized that there are many students like me. When I went to pick up my books last week, I was not the only student in line with a baby in one arm and books in the other. Nowadays, I am the typical college student.

I am 22 years old and I am about to start my last semester of college. I have been going to school non-stop for five years; when I complete my degree it will have taken me 5 and ½ years. I started out at a community college, working part-time while going to school full-time. Shortly after starting college I chose to get married. At this point I switched to working full-time and going to school part-time. It has only been within the last year that I began taking a full-time course load again. Last year, I got pregnant with my first child. I spent the past semester dealing with the struggles of morning sickness and a lack of energy, followed by heartburn and lower back pain, all while trying to turn papers in on time. This summer I gave birth to a beautiful son, and when I go back to school this fall, I will need to get used to studying with a baby on my lap. Despite the fact that I have never seen our school's student union, and I never had time to pledge a sorority, I have made the most of my college experience.