It is not news that students drop out of school. There are many reasons why students leave school. In this article, we will try to address some of these causes and provide solutions.
Students who drop out of higher education are often due to many common reasons, regardless of what school they attend. You may have individual issues or a combination of both. Students will be less likely to return if they aren’t addressed by campus management.
What is the percentage of students who drop out of college? Research shows that 63% of college students drop out within a year. This leaves 37% of college students with less than six years to finish their education.
What causes do students leave university?
While financial problems are the most common reason students drop out of college, there are many other reasons. Many students have to deal with family problems, lack of support or unanticipated medical issues that are out of their control, reports sociology essay writer.
The most common reasons why students drop out of college are those that have to do with the transition between high school graduation and college. These include: being too expensive, homesick, or unsure of a major or plan of study.
We’ll be looking at the top reasons college students leave.
1. Financial Problems
Times Higher Education reports that 1 in 4 German college students dropped out early because of financial difficulties, poor student-professor relationships or lack of motivation.
Many students underestimate college costs, only to realize that they don’t have the money to pay it all. Others choose to work full-time and make money, rather than pursue a costly degree.
2. Secondary school preparation is poor
Students who do not have the right secondary school preparation are more likely to drop out of college. Even though universities and colleges are working with students to address the lack of readiness they have from high school in areas like mathematics and language, there comes a time when students can’t cope or manage the workload and decide to leave school.
It’s not about the degree level, it is the mental attitude. Times Higher Education in Spain points out, for example, that people who have completed vocational training may have difficulty getting into groups that deal with the theoretical part of their degree.
3. The Major is not for the Student
Two trends are obvious for college teachers: Either the major didn’t meet student expectations or it wasn’t the student’s first choice. This could also be one reason why students leave college or university.
When sophomore and freshmen students in the United States are asked to describe their majors, the most common answer is “I am undecided.”
Students who are admitted to programs or universities that do not have high entry requirements, such as the social sciences, tend to drop out more than students who are admitted to majors with higher requirements. This includes medical degrees which in Latin America start at the undergraduate level.
Slowly, however, universities are adopting college-mode bachelor’s degrees and common core education to offer orientation.
4. No individual attention or guidance
Students also drop out of university or college because they don’t receive individual attention or guidance.
We are wired to seek guidance as children. In college, particularly in the first year of studies, it is possible that the student does not have the guidance or individual attention they need from a mentor or counsellor.
Uncertain of where to go or how to handle problems can lead to many of the same factors that I described above and eventually to a failing college experience.
5. Conflict between work and family obligations
Another reason students leave college or university is because they don’t understand the concept.
This is true for both undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. Many college students have to continue working while they are enrolled. Many students find it difficult to provide for their families while attending college.
Many students are dependent on their children and only enroll part-time. Many students lack the support they need from their parents or student aid.
6. Courses are failing more frequently
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 online writing and tutoring service it may not help.
Many students feel they aren’t ready for the next job. Many people feel strongly about the way their peers are moving ahead of them. They feel hopeless. They drop college.
7. Inadequacy of time spent with counselors and teachers
This is another reason students leave college. High student-teacher ratios not only decrease the quality of education but also make it less personal and nurturing. It demotivates students.
Many education experts agree that students experience better if teachers and officials take a personal approach.
Sir Ken Robinson, a leading education scholar, is critical of this lack. He believes schools that succeed “employ teachers who treat students as individuals that require nurturing, and not as widgets that can be blindly assembled.”
8. De-motivating School Environment
Some students drop out of college because they are bored. But, there is a deeper issue.
GradNation.org conducted a study to determine the most common reasons students drop school. Some of the top reasons for dropping school include: “No one cared whether I attended”, “School atmosphere,” and “Teacher problems.”
9. Broken Relationships
Students who are in relationships that are not working out well can also drop out of universities and colleges.
It is common to find love in college, but it can be very difficult for students to stay focused on academics when that love becomes hate and heartbreak. It is easy to pack at least one of these two things: the awkward stranger on campus, shared classes, the same group of friends, and the painful memories.
10. Life Situations and Other External Demands
Unexpected life circumstances can cause students to drop out of college or university. This can have serious consequences. The student has to return home.
A student might have to abandon college due to financial constraints, illness or other reasons.
College students have to balance academics and social life. Too much of one can lead to the destruction of the other. Friendship and pleasure are the natural instincts.
Drinking, staying up too late, or ignoring classes can result in expulsion, rescinding parent money flows, and/or the student deciding to leave college.