Out of the several thousand undergrads who shuffle across the Hilltop everyday, Ed Board notices that many students fall outside the 18 to 22-year-old age bracket. These unique people represent a commonly looked-over part of the SMU community-the “adult” student.
These former stay-at-home parents or working professionals wishing to achieve a life goal deserve praise and we’re happy to commend their scholarly efforts. Surrounded by half-asleep “kids” – many young enough to be their children – adult students work hard in class and know the value of an education.
Many adult students waited years before being able to attend college and others encountered certain events that prevented them from finishing their degree. We praise these students for holding on to their goal despite various obstacles, and we encourage them to stay strong no matter what frustrations they face.
We notice that many “typical” SMU students ignore or snub adult students, treating them as a sit-in mom or dad sent to the university to act as a parent, and this is distressing.
Adult students tend to be automatic outsiders in campus life, and other undergrads should welcome these students, embrace their differences and learn from their experiences. In turn, adult students should become more involved in SMU, whether by joining an organization or attending athletic events. All SMU students, no matter what age, deserve to have a good “college experience.”
Taking the above statements into account, Ed Board wants to clarify what it means by adult students becoming “more involved in SMU.” The adult student should continue avoiding some standard college traditions.
For example, it really isn’t a good idea for a 41-year-old student to live in a residence hall such as Boaz. Residents of Boaz will agree that the daily occurrences in their hall would not appeal to a “real” adult. No adult truly wants to be taped to a wall, woken up by Trick Daddy blaring from down the hall or hit in the head by a stray soccer ball-not that any of these events actually happen in Boaz. But, in all seriousness, we feel that the shenanigans that transpire in many freshman halls are not desired by most students over a certain age.
Additionally, we recommend that adult students stay away from the fraternity or sorority scene. Seeing a 54-year-old in a toga and – again, not that this is a common event – passed out in the back of a charter bus going to Victory would be humorous but not a good idea.
We love you, dear adult students, and want the best for you and your educational experience. Trust us on the fact that some college happenings should stay with the young and foolish.
