Columbia University opens new dorm for student veterans and non-traditional learners

When it comes to college, achieving your goals can be tough, especially if your academic path is a non-traditional one. Fox News' Arthur Chien takes us inside a new residence hall at Columbia University that's helping our nation's veterans and other students adapt to campus life. When we think of people going off to college for the first time, often we think about high school graduates, right, 17, 18 years old, but there's an entire segment of our society that goes to college for the first time later in life, and for those people, their needs are different, not just academically, but when it comes to housing, and Columbia this year has taken a step towards addressing that. Coming to New York, I didn't really know. How I was going to navigate the housing selection. U.S. Army veteran Jack Eaton is not who you would consider somebody who's afraid of change. But when the Dallas native decided to come to New York City to study at Columbia University, he knew he was about to step into a brand new environment. And even for the seasoned New Yorkers out there, finding good housing can be the holy grail. Enter 99 Claremont, Columbia's new residence hall. More than 300 rooms dedicated to students of their School of General Studies, which includes working professionals, transfer students, and others who have taken a non-traditional path to their college education. But the average age of students is much older than that of the typical freshman here, and the amenities reflect it. From a full kitchen to a laundry room to a bike room to a gym, the new hall opened in August and students say the best amenity of all is how the new space has sparked new friendships, being in the company with other non-traditional older students like them. It's engaging with others despite our differences, whether it's racial, social, economic. Because you're so close to others in this space they sort of naturally form over time and you see the same faces every single day. Columbia University officials say that sense of community is exactly what they're after for the 3,000 students at their School of General Studies. Also acknowledging that the students they want to attract almost all have to grapple with questions about where they would live in the city when they come here. Housing can be expensive. Yeah. Moving across the country, if you're not familiar with the city, can be hard. So being able to offer student housing so when they make the transition to New York, they know they have a place to live and rest and study, that makes a big difference. While officials at Columbia are focused on the changes for housing for these individuals, they say the real benefits are in the classrooms. Because of their different experiences, it introduces all different kinds of factors into discussions about a whole range of topics. On the Columbia University campus, Arthur Chien, Fox 5 News.