This study focused on the adjustments nontraditional female students who return to college must make in order to complete their studies. The study examined the influence of a 3-hour orientation program for such students to see of the seminar would increase the coping skills and decrease the anxiety levels of nontraditional female students, most of whom had been away from academic settings for some time. Eleven female nontraditional students were asked to participate in the orientation class. Control groups were 22 participants with no orientation seminar and 25 students who had been enrolled in a 10-week orientation seminar offered the prior year. Participants completed a measure of state-trait anxiety and a coping resources inventory. Participants in the three groups did not show significant differences in coping skills, and state anxiety levels did not differ significantly. Results do suggest that the anxiety-reducing skills taught in the two seminars did help participants deal better with long term stress than those who received no orientation. Five appendixes contain forms used in the study and supplemental information. (Contains 9 tables and 91 references.) (SLD)