The good, the bad, the ugly: Predictors of positive and negative experiences of traditional and nontraditional graduate students

Nontraditional students pursuing an advanced degree face unique challenges as compared to full-time traditional students. Current and former masters and PhD students ( N = 266) were surveyed to examine differences in their educational experiences and emotional outcomes, and determinants of their positive and negative graduate education experiences. Traditional and nontraditional students differed significantly on most of the variables. Compared to traditional students, nontraditional students reported higher positive emotional experiences. Simple linear ordinary least squares (OLS) regression models were used to examine the determinants of positive and negative experiences during graduate education. Self-fulfillment motives were the strongest predictors of positive emotional experiences, while stress and anxiety uniformly predicted negative experiences; with variability in determinants of emotional experiences between traditional and nontraditional students.