Driven to succeed: Caucasian female nontraditional college graduates explore characteristics that helped them overcome barriers.

摘要

Looking into classrooms in universities across the country, it is easy to recognize that the typical undergraduate student demographic has changed substantially. Now more than ever before, female nontraditional students are returning to college to finish their undergraduate degrees. This study employed a qualitative phenomenological design and gathered data from college graduates regarding the personal characteristics they believe contributed to their success. Participants were selected through the use of a non-probability sample based on specific criterion addressing race, sex, and age at the time they entered college. Based on graduates' identification of the characteristics that helped them persevere and succeed in college, institutions can utilize this information to identify strategies in developing these characteristics in students. This will prove beneficial to universities who are interested in marketing to and serving this population.