Introduction:
Going to college is an important milestone in life that can open up a world of opportunities. It offers an opportunity to gain knowledge, skills, and experience that can help you both in your professional and personal life. Sadly, college students are dropping out at an alarming rate, with potentially devastating consequences for their career prospects. The purpose of this research is to identify some of the main reasons why students drop out of college. Taking college dropouts seriously is important because they have a profound impact on their lives. The immediate effects of dropping out of college can be felt in terms of the loss of educational opportunities and financial resources. These effects can be further compounded by a lack of job opportunities and a limited ability to find a career path. As estimated, there is an average difference of $21,000 between college graduates and non-graduates, resulting in an annual salary of 35% less (ThinkImpact, 2021). It can prove that these dropouts can create poverty in a country.
Students drop out of college for many reasons. As part of this research, we will explore a variety of motivating factors, including feeling overwhelmed, financial pressure, and lack of support. Some consequences of dropping out of college will be discussed as well.
Discussion:
Several factors contribute to college dropouts, but poverty is one of the most significant. Poverty is a major problem, and it can have a significant impact on college students. According to the article “College Dropout Rates” published by ThinkImpact, “55% of college students struggle to find financial support for their studies. Consequently, 51% of college dropouts drop out because of the lack of money (Thinkimpact, 2021).” When students come from families with low incomes and limited resources, they face more challenges in their education than those from more affluent backgrounds. As stated by Thinkimpact, “79% of the students delay their graduation due to financial difficulties (ThinkImpact, 2021).” These difficulties can lead to an increased dropout rate among low-income students. A major contributing factor to college dropouts from low-income families is the lack of financial resources. The cost of college tuition and other expenses, such as books and housing, can be a large financial burden for students from low-income households which leads them to take a loan. In the article “Financial Capability of Student Loan Holders Who Are College Students, Graduates, or Dropouts” published by the Journal of Consumer Affairs (2020), it stated that “College students are more likely to experience financial stress when they have student loan debt as compared to those without student loan debt (Xiao, 3).” Many of these students are unable to take out loans or seek other forms of financial aid, making it difficult to afford college. This can lead to students dropping out of college to save money and find work to help support their families. According to Breier Mignonne’s article “From ‘Financial Considerations’ to ‘Poverty’: Towards a Reconceptualization of the Role of Finances in Higher Education Student Drop Out”, it’s very important to have money in lower socioeconomic groups, not just in choosing the institution and program, but also in preventing students from withdrawing from college prematurely, whether it’s because of unexpected financial needs or because they underestimated college costs. (Breier, 2010).
Moreover, many college students struggle with the overwhelming nature of college life. The pressure to attend classes, complete assignments, balance a job, and maintain a social life can quickly become too much for some students to handle. This can cause them to feel overwhelmed, stressed, and anxious, which leads them to make the difficult decision of leaving college. With the amount of work and assignments expected of students, many can feel like they are drowning in a sea of expectations and cannot keep up. As reported in an article written by Nina Carpenter, “It is not about failing one or two classes.” Students feel overwhelmed when repeated foundation courses in the next semester or year become a pattern rather than an episode. Students feel overwhelmed by the amount of work they have to do. Even if they find an online writing and tutoring service it may not help (Carpenter, 2022).” The amount of coursework and expectations can be a lot for a student to process, especially if they are attending college for the first time. Melanie Hanson in her article “College Dropout Rates” indicates that students who are first-generation or whose parents have not received a college degree tend to drop out more, as they comprise 40% of college dropouts (EDI, 2021). This can cause a student to become overwhelmed and discouraged, feeling as though they are not able to keep up with the demands of college life. Pressure to succeed and maintain a certain GPA can also be a factor in why students drop out of college. Many students believe that they are not good enough or don’t have what it takes to make it to college. This can cause them to feel overwhelmed and discouraged, leading to dropping out.
More than one-third of students fail to complete their college education. Lack of support from family, friends, and society can be another major contributing factor to this worrisome trend. Gradnation.org found that the top reasons for dropping out of school are: “No one cares whether I attend,” “School atmosphere,” and “Teacher problems” (Carpenter, 2022). Students who do not receive adequate emotional, financial, and educational support from their families and peers are more likely to drop out due to feelings of isolation and lack of motivation. When a student does not feel supported, it can lead to a lack of motivation and a sense of hopelessness. Without support from family and peers, students can begin to feel like they are not capable of completing college and can give up.
Dropping out of college can have serious consequences. For one, it can greatly impact a student’s future job prospects. Without a college degree, it can be difficult to enter many professions or obtain a job that pays a livable wage. A student’s sense of self-worth and self-esteem can be negatively affected by dropping out of college. Many students who drop out of college may owe enormous loans. Xiao, et al (2020) found out that “graduates are more likely to practice several desirable financial behaviors than college students and dropouts.” Published in The Journal of Consumer Affairs. The college offers a wide range of opportunities to develop social contacts and friendships, so dropping out can lead to a decrease in social networks. Lastly, dropping out of college can reduce intellectual stimulation and learning opportunities. All these factors can severely limit a student’s future opportunities and success.
Conclusion and recommendations:
In conclusion, we have identified the most challenging causes of college dropouts as financial pressures, a lack of preparedness, feeling overwhelmed, and not feeling supported. Financial pressures can cause students to drop out due to the high costs associated with tuition, textbooks, and other school fees. Providing students with financial aid and scholarships for tuition, textbooks, and other academic needs can help them overcome this challenge. Also, a lack of preparation can lead to feeling overwhelmed and can make it difficult for students to keep up with their coursework. It may be beneficial to provide students with academic support services to assist them. This could include tutoring, mentorship programs, and counseling services. In addition, a lack of support from family, friends, or professors can leave students feeling isolated and cause them to give up. Students need to recognize when they are feeling overwhelmed and seek help before it leads to them dropping out. Creating an environment that is supportive and understanding of the unique challenges that students face can help prevent dropouts. This can include providing flexible scheduling, understanding of mental health issues, and support for students who are facing difficult life circumstances. All these factors can play a significant role in helping to ensure that students stay in college and reach their academic goals.
It is important to recognize that college dropouts are not necessarily failing, but instead, they may simply be choosing an alternative path. As demonstrated by many successful entrepreneurs and innovators, college dropouts can also be successful. The article “College Dropout Rates” by Imad Bouchrica asserts that some of the most prominent entrepreneurs of today, such as Microsoft’s Bill Gates and Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, dropped out of college (Bouchrika, 2023). Dropping out successfully requires considerable skill, vision, and luck. Lastly, it is crucial to create an environment that is supportive of college dropouts and to ensure that they have access to the resources they need to succeed.
Citation:
“College Dropout Rates.” ThinkImpact.com, 4 Oct. 2021, www.thinkimpact.com/college-dropout-rates/.
Bouchrika, Imed. “College Dropout Rates: 2023 Statistics by Race, Gender & Income.” Research.com, 5 Apr. 2023, https://research.com/universities-colleges/college-dropout-rates.
Breier, Mignonne. “From ‘Financial Considerations’ to ‘Poverty’: Towards a Reconceptualization of the Role of Finances in Higher Education Student Drop Out.” Higher Education, vol. 60, no. 6, Dec. 2010, pp. 657–70. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-010-9343-5.
Carpenter, Nina. “The Main Reasons Students Drop out of College.” Nerdynaut, Nina Carpenter, 25 Feb. 2022, www.nerdynaut.com/the-main-reasons-students-drop-out-of-college.
Xiao, Jing Jian, et al. “Financial Capability of Student Loan Holders Who Are College Students, Graduates, or Dropouts.” Journal of Consumer Affairs, vol. 54, no. 4, Dec. 2020, pp. 1383–401. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.1111/joca.12336.