Tips on How to Avoid Students Dropping Out of College
About 1/3 of the students in the USA end up quitting college. Does the issue of college dropouts really matter? Yes. If we’re concerned about our nation, our children, and ourselves. This is quite intriguing as the number of students dropping out of schools and colleges is increasing.
But before we discuss the preventive measures to avoid student dropouts let us first try to understand the reasons for this conundrum.
Why Students Dropout of College?
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Difficulties in Managing Work and College
This is the primary cause for students dropping out of schools or colleges.
According to publicagenda.org more than half of the students dropping out of college say they can’t manage both, as their jobs are more demanding while they cannot pay attention to their studies.
Hence, they constantly face burnout situations. This is one of the primary reasons for the increasing percentage of college dropouts.
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Ever Increasing Tuition Charges and Fees
This is the bitter truth. Every year colleges demand students pay more causing many to tap into the vicious cycle of dropping out of colleges.
A report published by trends.collegeboard denotes in the chart the consistent rising tuition fees since the last 5 decades.
College dropout statistics tell that about 60% of college dropouts did not receive financial assistance from their parents. This is even one of the causes of school dropouts.
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Increasing Stress at College and Schools
In his interview with the New York Times, Dr Anthony L. Rostain stated “ It’s a public health issue. We’re expecting more of the students.” He said that with the increasing pressure to compete in a global economy students feel that they want to be in the limelight.
They see the augmented reality of unemployment among graduates. This pushes them into the mire of anxiety and depression and hence they give up, raising the dropout rates in America.
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Unrealistic Approach Towards Education
There are ones for whom college is not just an educational institution, but a place to enjoy life. Those who are overindulged in other activities tend to score low in the exams and they also fall prey to bad association. This leads them to experiment with alcohol and drugs.
Once they taste failure at college, they underestimate the importance of education, dropping them out of the college. After some time they feel reluctant going back to college after dropping out.
Some want to be like Steve Jobs, Michael Dell, Bill Gates, Ellen Degeneres, but totally ignore the efforts that these famous figures took to reach the top.
Hence such ones try to undermine the importance of education and think that dropping out of college is another way to fulfil their dreams.
The astonishing fact is that many dropouts were not failing when they left their college.
No matter what the reasons are for student dropout in schools or colleges, we all want those who are studying today to complete their education. So what preventive measures can we take?
Preventive Measures to Prevent Students from Dropping Out of Colleges
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Role of Colleges and Community
Every educational institution must regularly analyse its policies and organising procedures to devise a more efficient and student friendly syllabus.
Colleges should evaluate their measures and implement their dropout prevention programs. When this is done on a regular basis, it will surely yield better outputs.
The State can do much to prevent the dropouts by providing financial assistance to those who want to study. I think we’ve to move further than scholarship as education is the pillar to build up a stronger democracy.
All agents of society contribute together to support the students by providing them with the necessary environment where they can flourish.
Here’s some data from msreserved.com which shows the funding to students in the United States in 2016.
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Mentoring in Schools and Colleges
Mentoring involves paying deliberate attention to every individual than considering all students as one class. This is especially important and it helps the mentor to understand the specific needs of every student, let it be the financial, educational or emotional need. Students can be groomed well and it can help to readjust their thinking of dropping out of college.
I think it will do better if the students are helped to understand the benefits of completing their education and when they are convinced of the worth of their educational courses they will feel motivated. Even an early level high school dropout prevention programs can reduce the number of school dropouts.
In Education Week, Alfie Kohn explained that the pressure of homework assignments leads to apathy among students towards education and it only ends up in a stressful situation for students. On the other hand, teachers can extend their help to avoid the dropouts by being more considerate towards students.
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Showing Personal Interest
I can say that parents play a vital role in preventing high school dropouts. At a very early age, parents should start showing personal interest in the child. Parents can speak casually with their child to understand their views regarding education. They can coordinate with their child’s teacher to help him in the specific areas.
I’ll suggest the parents to keenly hear when their child speaks because it will help them to see the complete picture and they’ll be in a better position to help their child.
Please do not overreact when your child shows his desire of dropping out of school or college.
Lack of interest towards education is not the only cause of their desire. It might be due to other reasons like facing assaults at school or college.
Encouraging the students to involve in extracurricular activities can develop in them a feeling of belonging and this will also help them to fight stress.
A Word of Advice
To conclude this issue in a nutshell, I think this problem really needs the attention of all the citizens of a nation.
It is important to analyze why students drop out of colleges and that should be done at an early stage. We really need to look to the college dropout rate as a threat to democracy.
No matter what the reasons are, we need to help these dropout students. Schools and Colleges should formulate effective student retention strategies.
I think much has to be done to help the students financially, so that students can complete their education.
Last but not the least a caring attitude and personal interest by educators, parents and those ruling the nation will surely be appreciated by those who are contemplating to dropout of college.
