It's A Big Deal
Each year millions of Americans enroll themselves in colleges across the nation. Out of these millions, approximately thirty-five percent of students who enter college will drop out in their first year. Only thirty-five percent, that is less than half of enrolled students, so this cannot be too important, right? Wrong. In addition to these first-year dropouts, only sixty-three percent of students who enroll in a four-year university will earn a degree, and it will take them an average of six years to do so. The other thirty-seven percent will either drop out of college before finishing or else flunk out of their programs of study. These statistics prove that many college students do, in fact, drop out of college, but not why. Students are dropping out due to their inability to financially support themselves while attending school, alcohol abuse and its related issues, and not being prepared for college after graduating from high school.
Working Woes
At this point in time, college is a very expensive investment. Many students who attend college must work at the same time in order to financially support themselves. In fact, nearly three-quarters (71%) of students who dropped out of college said that work contributed to the decision, with more than half (54%) identifying it as a major factor. About a third (35%) said that balancing work and school was too stressful. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation conducted a study in 2009; according to this study, the main reason students drop out of college is because they need money for survival. Not only do working students have trouble with their own finances, many of these young adults have a lack of parental or family contribution to their educational expenses. In addition to the insufficient parental financial aid, many college dropouts do not receive sufficient if any scholarships, loans, etc. Mark Kantrowitz talks about this in his article “Why Do Students Drop Out of College?” He states 58% of college dropouts said that they had no help from their parents, compared with 37% among students who graduated. Similarly, 69% said that they had no scholarships or loans, compared with 43% among students who graduated.
Drunk and Dropping
The Cal Poly Research Website posted its findings concerning alcohol and the average college student; the site said the average student spends about $900 on alcohol each year as opposed to the average $450 spent on books. Not only does alcohol drain students’ wallets, it causes them to miss classes as well. According to the Peer Resource Web site almost one-third of college students admit to having missed at least one class because of their alcohol or drug use. Many professors in college have strict attendance policies; in fact, if you miss more than 2 or 3 classes in a semester, your grade may be severely affected or you may even fail the class. According to an ACT policy report a low GPA can play a role in the decision to drop out. Purdue University reports 25 percent of all students said that alcohol has affected their grades. Failing too many courses in college may cause the university to drop the student entirely. Failed courses can delay graduation, and low grades in prerequisite classes may mean the student has to repeat the class. This can be quite discouraging and may cause some students to give up.
Undergraduates Are Under-prepared
Every year in the United States, nearly 60% of first-year college students discover that, despite being fully eligible to attend college, they are not ready for postsecondary studies. Students who believe they are ready for college may even find that when they arrive at their university of choice, they are unprepared. Their high school diploma, college-preparatory curriculum, and high school exit examination scores did not ensure college readiness. Lack of readiness for college is a major culprit in low graduation rates; many of these students fail to stay in college and therefore dropout.
Conclusion
This fall, millions of young adults will step foot on college campuses across the United States. Many will obtain their desired degrees and go on to have successful lives; on the other hand, a large amount of students will fail or drop out of college before they ever see their degrees. College is an expensive adventure that many students find impossible to complete. Three of the main reasons students drop out of college are that they are working or are unable to support themselves financially, alcohol abuse, and a lack of preparation in their high school years.