Perpetual student
Encyclopedia
A perpetual student, also known as a professional student
(though the latter term has more than one meaning), is a college or university
attendee who re-enrolls for several years, typically more than what is necessary to obtain a given degree
.
Reasons for such behavior include:
tells the story of Van Wilder, a popular student who has been in college for seven years, with no plans to graduate.
The CW Network's program Girlfriends
s character, Lynn Searcy, remains in school and receives multiple post-graduate degrees.
The Librarian
is a series of made-for-TV movies from TNT starring Noah Wyle
as a perpetual student who becomes a librarian protecting a secret collection of artifacts.
Diane, from the TV comedy Cheers
.
Professional student
The term Professional student has two uses in the university setting:*In the United States and Canada, if not elsewhere, a professional student is a student majoring in what are considered the professional degrees. These include Veterinary Medicine , Law , Medicine , Engineering, Business...
(though the latter term has more than one meaning), is a college or university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
attendee who re-enrolls for several years, typically more than what is necessary to obtain a given degree
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
.
Reasons for such behavior include:
- Time constraints (inability to devote full-time to studies due to a job or raising a family)
- Indecision (changing one's majorAcademic majorIn the United States and Canada, an academic major or major concentration is the academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits....
one or more times) - Inability to find a job
- Finding a time-consuming job
- Pursuit of more than one degree or major
- Inability to complete a final thesis or dissertation
- Student loans becoming due for payment once student status is lost
- Unwillingness to abandon the social aspect
- Desire to continue participation in extra-curricular activities, particularly competitive ones that require participants to be registered students
- Political organizing
- Desire to avoid getting a job.
Examples
- Johnny LechnerJohnny LechnerJohn A "Johnny" Lechner is a perpetual student at the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater.-Academic career:Lechner's claim to fame is that he has been attending college since graduating from Waukesha North High School in 1994...
has been attending the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater since 1994. He was scheduled to graduate in 2008 with multiple majors and minors, but continued into a 15th year of college.
- Benjamin BolgerBenjamin BolgerBenjamin Bradley Bolger is a perpetual student who claims to be the second most credentialed person in modern history after Michael W. Nicholson, who has 27 degrees. Like Nicholson, Bolger hails from Michigan...
, who received his first 4 year degree from the University of MichiganUniversity of MichiganThe University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
, claims to be the most credentialed student in modern history, with ten master's degrees and a doctorate.
- Michael Nicholson has 27 degrees, including 19 master's degrees and one doctorate.
- Milton De Jesús has been a student at the University of Puerto Rico since 1963. Mr. De Jesús was recently interviewed by the newspaper, since he is the only student at the campus that can make comparisons among the 2010 student strikes and the 1970s, 80s, 90s, and 2005 strikes. It is not certain if he has a degree.
Portrayal in Movies and Television
The 2002 film National Lampoon's Van WilderNational Lampoon's Van Wilder
National Lampoon's Van Wilder is a 2002 comedy film directed by Walt Becker that stars Ryan Reynolds as the main character. The film also stars Kal Penn, Tara Reid, and Daniel Cosgrove. It features Sophia Bush's acting debut...
tells the story of Van Wilder, a popular student who has been in college for seven years, with no plans to graduate.
The CW Network's program Girlfriends
Girlfriends
Girlfriends is an American comedy-drama sitcom that premiered on September 11, 2000, on UPN and aired on UPN's successor network, The CW, before being cancelled in 2008...
s character, Lynn Searcy, remains in school and receives multiple post-graduate degrees.
The Librarian
The Librarian franchise
The Librarian is a series of made-for-TV original movies from Turner Network Television starring Noah Wyle as a librarian who protects a secret collection of artifacts.-Origin:...
is a series of made-for-TV movies from TNT starring Noah Wyle
Noah Wyle
Noah Strausser Speer Wyle is an American film, television and theatre actor. He is best known for his role as Dr. John Truman Carter III in the Medical drama ER. He has also played Steve Jobs in the 1999 docudrama Pirates of Silicon Valley and Flynn Carsen in The Librarian franchise...
as a perpetual student who becomes a librarian protecting a secret collection of artifacts.
Diane, from the TV comedy Cheers
Cheers
Cheers is an American situation comedy television series that ran for 11 seasons from 1982 to 1993. It was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television for NBC, and was created by the team of James Burrows, Glen Charles, and Les Charles...
.