Times, when a high school diploma was a sufficient academic achievement to join the workforce with all necessary skills to be a professional, have passed. Currently, the world and society are becoming more complex, as well as human relationships and technological achievements. Therefore, to become competitive employees, students have to continue education to get more skills and knowledge in order to have access to more resources and opportunities, Having decided to continue education and obtain the degree, students usually leave their homes and join a college campus for at least four years. Although they may not necessarily need to leave home, the majority of them do. College time is an excellent opportunity to get more freedom, take more responsibility, and consequently get ready for adult life, passing some of your studying chores to writing services like EssayShark, where they buy a college essay online.
Nothing prepares to independence better than the absence of control from parents and the entire distribution of duties and responsibilities by children themselves. Therefore, a college campus is a certain transferring period in the individual’s life when young people are provided with independence but, at the same time, with the proper assistance when needed. College campus also becomes a survival school testing students for stress resistance, endurance, discipline, and will. College time is extremely stressful, and quite often, students drop out of it because of a number of reasons. Be sure to know them all to be able to protect yourself from the danger that comes from psychological, financial, and social spheres and complete your degree successfully.
Financial Difficulties
Education is becoming more and more expensive, almost every year. Life standards are increasing, as well. After a couple of semesters, many students realize that they have significantly underestimated the price of their college education. In addition to the payment for the course, students need to have enough resources for books and supplies, transportation, food, drink, and entertainment. This is an additional burden for families, which can sometimes become unbearable and push students to drop out. Moreover, some students find that they are surrounded by classmates from more wealthy families. Thus, while some get everything for studying peacefully and without additional worries, others would have to combine part-time employment with their study.
- Lack of Academic Preparation
One more underestimated factor that can be a reason for a freshman to drop out is their academic preparation. Even if a student was successful in high school, it does not necessarily mean that they would be equally successful at college. First-year students are often shocked by the amount of work they have to do at college. Here is the point when not only their intellect matters but also their time and stress managing skills, as well as the ability to set priorities and develop coping mechanisms for psychological and physical pressure. Many first-year students, even those from competitive high schools, are shocked by their grades at the end of the first semester. While some of them would seek and develop strategies to succeed better, others would drop out.
Struggling with Life in a New Environment
Besides financial and academic challenges, students face a range of social changes that can sometimes be overwhelming even for the most endurant individuals. Students not only change their place of living; they change their close environment. Sharing bedrooms, bathrooms, changing classmates at every lecture, and making new friends can be enormously disorienting under conditions of constant academic pressure. Anxiety, fear, and sense of loneliness are significant obstacles for some students to adapt to a new environment and sometimes makes them drop out.
External demands, particularly within part-time or full-time employment
Financial difficulties push students to search for additional sources of money besides that provided by families. Some students need to pay for the study on their own. Others need more money for entertainment and fun. That’s why many students have either part-time or even full-time jobs. They must balance their study with the job and set the priorities correctly. Some chose job over study because it gives them more independence and confidence. They take a conscious decision to drop out because, from a practical perspective, it is more beneficial to work rather than study.
Failing too many classes
A recent survey of nearly 2,000 students demonstrates that almost 27% of students dropped out because of too many missed classes (Gould & Weller, 2015). This reason can not be considered independently because it is rather a consequence of more serious problems rather than an independent reason. Boredom is one of the most important factors that makes students miss classes. The very same survey claims that 25% of students dropped out because of being bored and unmotivated to study (Gould & Weller, 2015). Challenges with adjusting to college and campus environment, as well as failure to make new social connections can make some students feel extremely lonely and incapable of matching the college environment. This feeling of isolation prevents students from attending classes and, consequently, results in dropping out.
Too much stress
Another factor closely interconnected with the previous ones is stress and its management. For a freshman, sources of stress are everywhere because of the necessity to adapt to a new environment. For senior students, stress is associated mostly with academic and personal life. Expectations are very high, and the amount of work does not decrease with each particular year. Moreover, students also have a private life that includes both romance and friendship. Sometimes it becomes particularly challenging for some students to balance their academic and personal life. They are overwhelmed with both positive and negative emotions, which in turn might be stressful. Lack of knowledge on how to cope with stress results in emotional and academical burn out and can be a reason for dropping out.
No guidance or mentors
The abundance of duties and responsibilities, as well as endless deadlines at every subject, increases pressure on students. At high school, they have always had either a teacher or parent to help and guide them. Sometimes their needs for help have been recognized and addressed immediately even without their claim for help. At college, students may feel like they need help but don’t know whom to ask for it. The majority of tasks at college are new to them, and sometimes they feel the lack of proper instructions on how to complete them correctly. They might be shy to ask for additional instructions or they do not know whom to ask. Thus, they fail with their assignments and do not get enough points to complete the course.
As a student, you are likely to face all of these challenges. You will find some of them quite easy to manage. Others might seem too overwhelming for you. The key to the successful completion of the degree is balance, strong will, and emotional intelligence. Work hard on making your life planned and structured, and college time will be one of the most fascinating periods in your life.
References
Gould, S., & Weller, C. (2015). The most common reasons students drop out of high school are heartbreaking. Retrieved 28 August 2019, from https://www.businessinsider.com/most-common-reasons-students-drop-out-of-high-school-2015-10
