How to Solve College Dropout - Essay Example

College dropout, and how to solve this problem. Introduction It is very clear in the world of today that education is the key to success. Most students know what education is since they held the dream of joining college, for they were made to believe that it is very vital to attend college education. College education sets pace and lays better grounds or as others would put it kick start our careers. Looking at the lives of our parents, siblings and friends who have gone through college in comparison with them who have not gone through the same, the difference is very open with them who have gone through college successfully showing better living state, confidence and responsibility. This, therefore, makes it clear that but a good background is an important determinant of getting a well-paying job and working effectively. This paper will discuss what college dropout entails and how this problem can be addressed. Discussion There is a lot of negative outcome of dropping out of college. A friend of mine dropped out of college in his second year of study so that he can pursue his newly started business venture since as he claimed his friends were making good money out it. His business never really picked well and he ended up being married. To date he has been wishing to get back but he has many responsibilities that he cannot make it. Having said this, it is also important to state that among many sad issues the current society is facing, the most saddening is turning out to be the rising rates of college dropout in our colleges and universities. Many reasons have been sited or attributed to this matter but in most cases it is narrowed down to poor or unstable academic performance, wrong choice of course as well as monetary problems. To begin with, the main point in making learning effective is to have the ability to study. This means that performing poorly in academics is the leading or even main reason which makes most of the students to quit their college studies. Most of them after being admitted to either a college or a university tend to feel overconfident since they performed well in their A level (Louis 6). They feel as if already they are the best students forgetting that they have met with other best performers, resulting to not being so serious in their studies and therefore leading to negative consequences they never anticipated. The method of learning differs with every level of education and so high school is obviously different from college which means for them who cannot adapt to the new system life becomes hard for them and at the end they don’t achieve the expected results which may force them to drop out of college (Rumberger 10). The next presumed college dropout reason is lack of or insufficient finances. Many students face monetary challenges to meet the high charges of college fee and other charges including administration and accommodation. This they have to pay to obtain education and better their lives and the society at large. The problem comes when students cannot afford to pay the required amounts which ought to be paid for one to attend classes and sit for exams. Some of them are forced to take part time jobs to help them raise enough money for their education which makes them not have time enough for both studying and resting which definitely affects their input in academic matters and the output goes down also (Rumberger 16). After months of working and trying to keep up with studies they realize that their colleagues have moved far and it proves difficult to keep up with their pace. This makes some of them to lose hope and give in to despair. However this problem can sometimes bring positive results with some students learning how to actually make money while still doing well in college work. This comes out well when the student is more disciplined and has an effective working schedule (Louis 8). Another factor considered to be contributing to the issue of college dropout is the choice of a course. Wrong choice of a course of study more often than not makes a student to quit. Perhaps during the course of study a student may find out that what he is majoring in is not suitable to him or even feels that he lacks passion for it. Some students may have a problem with certain teachers or even the college and so making them hate what they are doing. This makes them feel insecure and may end up dropping out of college (Rumberger 17). When some students get to college, they are tempted to think that they are old enough to be independent and they do everything possible to gain the independence including trying to get jobs so that they cease asking for money from their parents. Others even think that being in college is a big waste of their precious time that they would have used to enjoy themselves. When unable to handle issues as they come they decide to drop out of college to avoid being answerable (Schargel and Smink 4). Peer pressure is also among the issues mentioned as factors that contribute to college dropout. Human beings are known to be social beings whereby they always try to make friends and interact with others in day to day activities. College students are not different and you will always find them in social classes. However some of them get involved with the wrong friends and end up losing focus and direction as far as education is concerned. They get misled and at the end of it they realize they have wasted too much time that they feel they cannot recover. Some of them become pregnant and so leave college to handle their maternal issues then it becomes hard for them to come back. This makes a good number of them to drop out of college (Louis 12). It is very clear that the problem of college dropout is a serious matter that needs to be looked at with much weight both by individuals and the government or state. The answers to the problem of college dropout are not at all easy. What makes it complex is that the source of the problem is also much complex. Strategies and solutions have to be sought and put into place to reduce and eventually stop college dropout rates. Student joining college bring traces of generally the wider community when later on they leave the college either when they graduate or before then they return to the same community so it is not so possible to separate college from the community. Some of the suggested strategies and solutions are as follows (Rumberger 18). Calls for systematic renewal and evaluation of goals together with objectives related to college policies, structures and practices since they impact the learners in different ways. Community collaboration is also a major step. When different groups that makes up a community come together to provide support to a specific college in creates a very good environment for youths to grow and achieve to their potential. A comprehensive plan for violence prevention that also should include how to resolve conflicts should be drawn to with management of crisis and as well handle potential violence by providing experiences on a daily basis and handling them amicably. Career education together with workforce readiness as a program to guide quality is essential to all learners and allows parents room for much involvement to provide mentorship and support. It should recognize that students and youths in general need some specific skills in order to help them prepare for the workplace demands of the current society that is so high (Schargel and Smink 10). Campuses should establish mental support facilities and policies to handle the mental health issues of students and enable students to understand their mental status and health needs and to seek treatment where necessary. Talents and much more abilities of the students should be identified as early as middle schools to allow them know their potential and major in them once in college to avoid frustrations that comes with choosing the wrong course. Better training for teachers especially those who are in cities should be done to enable them handle students who are not doing well in various courses and try to help them out. The teachers should also come up with better methods of handling students so that students can approach them when faced with a challenge (Schargel and Smink 11). In Conclusion, potential dropouts should be identified early enough and measures taken to psychologically help them gain much courage to face challenges and ensure they remain in college .Re- establishment of school-to-work also called work-study programs in colleges to help students facing financial challenges to remain in college. Finally, it is very clear that college dropout is never the best option and no student should ever think of doing so. It is also the duty of everyone in the society to help deal with this matter. Works Cited Rumberger, Russell. Dropping Out: Why Students drop out of School and what can be done. United States: Havard University Press. Print. Rosen, Louis. College is not for everyone. New York: Scarecrow Education, 2005. Print. Schargel, Franklin and Smink, Jay. Strategies to Help Solve Our School Dropout Problem: An Eye on Education Book. London: Routledge. Print Read More