The High Dropout Rate for College Students

Everyone should believe that our education is crucial being that this would actuates the amplitude of progress of an individual’s civil and industrial contentment. You can’t tell me one specific person who would not want to have a degree under their belt along with attaining a very high paying job in the future. What a lot of people fail to realize is that prior to accomplishing a degree, and reaping the benefits, adversity as well as many different problems has to be conquered first. These same adversities and problems are the leading causes why most college students were and are still unable to graduate and they just give up and dropout. That is because when starting school they don’t prepare themselves for these things so when they come along the most inconsiderable thing for them to do is give up. The cause of students dropping out of college is not entirely the student’s indiscretion alone but comparatively with different circumstantial and social elements. Overall dropping out of college is a huge issue for many people today and in this paper I will discuss the many causes why there are high dropout rates and the remedies there is to empower us to finish (www.solutionsforamerica.org). Many undergraduates find that college is not exactly what they thought it would be and that definitely includes me. In my opinion as I’m sure any other college student would agree, whether they be young or old is that there is a lot more reading, studying, you have greater expectations that you have to fulfill and of course the work is much harder. Many people can testify to the fact that the workload is a bit much compared to what we were used to doing back in high school. The whole idea of having to read a whole lot then having to sit and listen to lectures and takes notes believe it or not scares a lot of people; my sister was one of them which is the reason why she dropped out her first time around. Some people have a lack of self control and balancing the new work load with their so called social lives isn’t what they really want to do. Some students are used to the high school teachers staying on top of them for the works that needs to be done, but when you are in college you get a list which is called a syllabus for every class with all the assignments that needs to be done and when they are due. When you don’t have any motivation to push you, this can be one of the very reasons why many person dropout of college. Its obvious that one of the reasons why the dropout rates for college students is so high is they financially just cannot do it. Yes there is the option of financial aid but there are many rules and regulations behind it. For instance I wanted to attend college right after I got my GED in 2006 but because my grandmother did not want to sign any papers for me or give any of her information I was not allowed to. I had to wait until I was of age to be considered an independent student to apply for my FAFSA and be eligible. There are a lot of low income families where they have to work in order to survive because they have large families and going to just isn’t what is in their interest. Tuition for college can be very expensive and if you can’t get a loan they paying for it will be a headache. My sister attends Mercy College and her tuition is almost $9000 a semester and that’s not even including books, possible school supplies or any other charges (Krystal Berry). Some students don’t get enough financial aid and are forced to drop out because they can’t get any loans or find a job that will cover the remaining balance. Most of the time they are unaware of the other options that they have but I will speak on that later on in my essay about the things that can be done to help people in these different situations. Attending college is no walk in the park and there will be many hurdles, hardships, trials and tribulations along the way but we just have to fight through it and not let our finances by any means hold us back. Studies show that most students who enter into the ninth grade won’t graduate with their peers four years later. The reason being is because many of those same children live in these in these under privileged areas and most of them can’t read better than a third grade level. A lot of things showed that because these students can’t read past the third grade level they have a higher chance of dropping out of high school and never make it to college. The high dropout rates in college and the dropout rates in high school have a lot to do with each other in more ways than we think. There a lot of things that advocate that the students are not being supported in any way in their education and honestly that’s sad. Most people in those areas urge the young people to get a job instead of making them understand that if they stay in school and do well that when they finish they can get an even higher pay. These students aren’t prepared for what’s to come in high school, let alone are able to survive enough to make it to graduation and then into college. There are these programs called the GPS-NYC and STEPS that work with these students. The GPS-NYC (Graduate, Prepare, and Succeed) helps ninth grade students with a history of chronic absenteeism graduate on time and ready for college. GPS works to significantly improve educational outcomes throughout New York City through a program policy proposition. STEPS (Supporting Transitions from Early Education to Public Schools) wishes to better early grade literacy by ensuring that a child’s learning and development needs are perpetually met in the first eight years of life. The point is to help bridge the gaps between pre-school and elementary schools (www.unitedwaynyc.org/education). I think with these programs it has helped these students continue on to get a better education; it starts from young. A majority of the people that dropout of college just don’t go to class; they party all night and sleep all day. They have the mentality that going to class is a waste of time; they don’t feel the need to study because in high school they didn’t have to and still passed. Most people are just not prepared for what’s to come in school which is a horrible thing. A lot of high schools reassure the students that they are preparing them for the college life but in actuality aren’t even coming close to what they need to be taught. I think that when entering in college for your first year you should have a guidance counselor to somewhat guide and counsel you. Though there are some student advisors that may act as counselors because they truly do care about the students they have other things to do. When in high school it should be required for all students to take at least two college level course and if they did exceptionally well then some credits will be received for it. It’s the lack of interest that is the reason why now more than ever the high dropout rates are kind of increasing. Financial reason is the number one reason why there is a high dropout rate in college and I don’t know about any other school or state but there are many options. You can either get financial aid or even get a loan from the bank if your credit is good or you can get a co-signer. There are certain programs that if you qualify for you will get funding some kind of funding to help you with school. Most people have the mentality that they have to take four classes at a time when in reality you really don’t have to. Many individuals can afford to pay for at least one class with some serious sacrifices but they don’t want to shell out the money for it; if it’s not financial aid paying for it then they don’t want to do it which is a shame. We all should at least take one class if possible to prevent from staying out for so long. Smaller classes, better communication, and increase supervision are some things that can prevent the high dropout rate in college. If there were a lot more good teachers who keep the classes interesting and parents were more involved that would make it a lot easier. Most parents kind of forget about their children and are not as active in their lives when they go to college especially if they go away (www.dosomething.org). . Each year even more students’ dropout even more than the last and as explained in the paper everyone has their reasons. Though there are many things that can prevent this and help them out tremendously many choose not to utilize them or they just don’t know about it. Hopefully in the future the high dropout rate in college will dramatically decrease and there will be more degrees obtained.
References
http://www.unitedwaynyc.org/education?gclid=CNjJtN3_h64CFYeK4Aod9yc45w www.unitedwaynyc.org/education Richards, James www.dosomething.org
www.solutionsofamerica.org

References: http://www.unitedwaynyc.org/education?gclid=CNjJtN3_h64CFYeK4Aod9yc45w www.unitedwaynyc.org/education Richards, James www.dosomething.org www.solutionsofamerica.org