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3. Three Causes of Students Dropping Out of College

Three Causes of Students Dropping Out of

College
by Mara Tyler, Demand Media
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Many students find it difficult to balance work, school and home life all at once.

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As college tuition rates increase, many students find themselves with two choices: finish school or pay the bills.
However, the cost of college is not the only factor involved in students dropping out of school. Many students
find it hard to strike the work/life/school balance in a time when job competition is high, housing costs are
skyrocketing and school is no longer the only factor to getting a decent job.

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Money
A common reason students drop out of college is a lack of money. Unless students have financial help from
family or are lucky enough to get scholarships or grants, they are often forced to take out loans or work part- to
full-time to pay for school. Often times, it's just not feasible for students to afford the cost of living while
completing a college education.

Work/Life Balance
Since colleges usually require a minimum course load, students must often juggle several classes a week on top
of jobs, family and other commitments. If a student is not able to rearrange his work schedule to fit with his
class schedule, he is usually forced to choose work at the expense of his education. Many students find it
difficult to find time to study, work on group projects and research, because they are busy making money to
afford basic necessities, or to take care of their families. A student is more likely to drop out -- whether for a
semester or permanently -- if he is not able to strike a healthy balance with work, school, social activities and
family.

Job Advancement
In many cases, students who work during college gain promotions to high-paying positions before graduating. If
a student is making enough money to live on, it's common for that student to forgo finishing college. School
would require him to work fewer hours or give up the chance at a promotion. This is especially the case with
students who take internships in college that turn into jobs. Once a student has a position in his field, he may not
return to school to finish his degree.

Summary
Students drop out of college for many reasons. The decision usually has a lot to do with money and time. Even
students who are able to take out loans eventually have to worry about paying them back. Also, most students
are not lucky enough to have flexible jobs that allow for schedule changes every semester. While some students
who drop out of college eventually return, the majority of them don't ever re-enroll to finish their degrees.
Everybody at least once in their lives thinks about who they will be in the
future. Some people are successful because they have the motivation and
determination to graduate college; others are less lucky because of their lack
of those characteristics and opportunities. Those people often don't feel
fulfilled in their lives because they get into a routine. Usually non-college
graduates most of the days work all day long to just pay rent and bills. They
don't have time and enough money to enjoy life by going on vacation to relax
from daily duties. People should think about causes of dropping out of college
to avoid regrets in the future. The three causes of people quitting college are
regulating the balance between work and study, unexpected personal
problems and financial problems.
The first cause of dropping out of college is regulating the balance between
work and study. Students who are working while studying often break barriers
of acceptable amount of working hours. For example, some students work full
time or part time but they do physical work like lifting furniture or cleaning
which makes them tired. As a consequence, they are not prepared for classes
because they don't have time to study or they are too tired to focus on the
homework. Because of that, they have a hard time in classes and they drop
out of college. Moreover, sometimes many students get out from work too late
and they are late for classes. As a result, they miss valuable time that they
can spend on test or lose important information like introduction to the topic
and they are disoriented. Continuing to be late forces them to make decision
between school and changing a job, and in many cases they just quit school.
The inability to regulate balance between work and study leads people to drop
out of college.
Another cause of students quitting college is unexpected personal problems.
Every year many female students drop out opportunity of higher education
because they get pregnant. For instance, after childbirth, women are not in
best condition and they have to take care of new baby like breast feeding,
changing diapers or putting an infant to sleep. Therefore, they quit college.
Furthermore, abrupt information about sickness of close member of family can
cause decision about abandon college. For example, a doctor diagnoses that
student's father has lung cancer and he predicts three months life for him. This
information has an effect on student's studies because of inability to
concentrate, think about the dramatic day when the loved person would past
away. The student's thoughts lead them to sadness and depression. As a
result, person doesn't care about school anymore and resolve to quit college.
A reason that students quit college is unexpected personal problems.
The third cause of students resigning from college is financial problems. Some
parents don't have enough money to pay for a school because of economical
crisis. For example, in days of economical crisis a lot people lose their jobs so
first they pay necessary expenses like a rent and bills then they carry about
their children's development of knowledge. Because parents don't have
enough money to cover educational expenses, their children are forced to quit
college. Moreover, students who apply for financial aid and they don't receive
it, might have many siblings and despite of their both parents work full time,
their home budget doesn't let them continue education and they usually quit
college. Financial problems is a cause that students drop out of college.
Students quit college because of many reasons and causes. Some of them
are regulating the balance between work and study, unexpected personal
problems and financial problems. Some situations such as financial problems
are independent on students and they aggravate in continuing college
education. However, most of the causes of dropping out of college are
students' decisions. These decisions have an impact on careers and students'
future therefore, before quitting a college people should think whether they
want to have high or minimum standard lives.
More Americans are attending college than ever before, yet few actually complete the
experience. Dropping out leaves students with large debt loads and lack of a career
boost that would pay them off faster. Students are often frozen out of the professional
job market, where a bachelor's degree or better is required to apply. On the other
hand, dropping out can persuade an aspiring entrepreneur that's now the perfect time
to pursue his dream.

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Growing Debt Burdens

Dropping out means having to pay back student loans without the additional earning power that
an undergraduate degree provides. Dropouts are also four times likelier than graduates to default
on student loans, "The Wall Street Journal" reports. The borrower may also find it difficult, if not
impossible, to avoid falling behind on other obligations, such as credit card payments. Defaulting
on student loans also makes it harder to get loans for cars, homes or resuming an education.

High Unemployment Rates

College dropouts suffer above-average unemployment rates. As of June 2012, applicants with
some college experience emerged as a majority of unemployed job seekers for the first time, at 52
percent, according to "The Wall Street Journal." The aftermath of the 2008 U.S. economic
slowdown left college dropouts little better off than people who didn't finish high school.
Unemployment rates for bachelor's degree holders ages 25 to 34 averaged 4.1 percent, for
example, versus 9.8 for students who started college, but didn't finish, the newspaper reports.

Incentive to Succeed
Although it's not unusual for college dropouts to struggle with lost self-esteem, not everyone feels
that way. As college critics note, dropping out didn't stop Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg
and Apple's late CEO, Steve Jobs, from becoming self-made billionaires. A growing number of
millennial generation students have drawn similar conclusions, either by quitting to start a
business or by joining the information technology industry, where dropping out doesn't carry a
stigma, "The New York Times" reports. Dropping out can mark the first step toward a career path
that feels more meaningful.

No Second Chances
Failure to graduate from college often means no second chance. Adults who try to return also face
long odds, whether it's finding adequate financial resources or the struggle to balance family, life
and work responsibilities, according to the Hechinger Report. Lack of flexibility is also a
concern. Would-be returning students often find their dreams frustrated by institutions that reject
transfer credits or decline to credit professional experience, the reports. As a result, many
returning students end up quitting yet again.

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1. Money concerns.
Some students underestimate college costs and realize too late that they lack the funds to cover it
all. Others decide they’d rather be making money working full time than pursuing a costly degree.
Still others become discouraged at the prospect of incurring loan debt. Avoid so-called sticker
shock and other financial pitfalls by sitting down with your parents or a counselor before enrolling,
to examine all possible avenues for funding as well as the pros and cons of enrolling straight out of
high school versus taking a gap year.

2. Poor preparation.
It literally pays to plan for college, but financial cost isn’t the only factor. It’s important for college-
bound students to understand that their workloads, social habits, and daily routines—plus a host of
other things—can all change pretty drastically. One key to navigating unfamiliar territory is to
maintain strong ties withothers who have been there—parents, older friends and siblings, and
college counselors can all help you mentally prepare for this big life change.

3. Outside demands (aka life).

Any number of things can arise in your personal life to deter you from your academic goals. Family
members become ill. Relationships end. Professional opportunities develop. In some cases these
outside obligations are too big to ignore, but before you decide to drop out, talk to your
professors. In many cases, they can help find a solution that allows taking time off without
sacrificing your academic progress.

4. Too much, too fast.

Freedom is what you make of it. Sure, there are perks to college life, such as being able to come
and go as you please, eat and drink what you want, and take naps in the middle of the day on a
whim. But without a bit of structure, your good times can come with unpleasant side effects that
range from the dreaded “Freshman 15”all the way up to disciplinary action and academic
probation. Set boundaries for yourself and you’ll soon learn that responsible fun is actually the
best kind there is.

5. The “just a number” effect.

Know this: Your college professors are not obligated to seek you out and get to know you
personally. If you want a college experience that feels personal and distinctive, you have to make
it happen. Introducing yourself to faculty and classmates at the beginning of the semester,
scheduling office time to discuss challenging coursework with a professor, or simply speaking up
and sharing your ideas in class are all great ways to get noticed and feel like a part of an academic
community instead of just another face in the crowd.