Nontraditional Students’ Perceptions of Their Abilities to Manage Transitions While Attending One Southern Community College

• In Event: Roundtable Session 73
  In Roundtable Session: Stress and Coping in Education Paper Discussions 2

Abstract

The purpose of this session is to ascertain the perceptions of graduating nontraditional students concerning the impact of stressful transitions during their college experiences and what factors contributed to their successful completion. The Schlossberg (1984) Adult Transition Theory will be used to discuss students’ perceptions of situation, self, support, and strategies while moving in, moving through, and moving out of the college process. Within the United States, federal funding for community colleges has increased, but only 40 percent of the total community college student population completes their programs. This session will assess the perspectives of nontraditional students by using current literature concerned with degree completion.

Author

• Crystal Frazier Toombs, Mercer University