Causes and Effects of College Dropout - Essay Example

Causes and Effects of College Dropout Outline I. Introduction A. Dropping out of college has become an issue affecting college students; this assignment will address the causes and effects of college dropout. B. i). Examples of students dropping out of college can be demonstrated by the high numbers of students who quit college in their first two years. ii). Brown (1998) demonstrates that there are a number of issues that students should consider before dropping out of college. This is because of the negative impacts associated with quitting college. iii). Watkins (2012) contends that many students may not be aware of the dangers posed by dropping out of school or college. C. Thesis: Students drop out of college for a number of reasons; college dropout has some effects on the student and the society. This essay will analyze two causes of college dropout, which include employment and lack of motivation. In addition, the essay will analyze two effects of college dropout, which include social effects and financial impacts. II. Causes of College Dropout. A. Lack of motivation. B. Employment. III. Effects of College Dropout A. Financial effects. B. Social Impacts. IV. Conclusion. I. Introduction There have been many cases of students dropping out of college. In most instances, students have chosen to quit college for some reasons; some of them refer learning as a rigorous process. The inability of students to cope with college life may have adverse effects on the students as well as the entire society. When students drop out of college, it may mean that their lives will be totally ruined. Thus, there are grave consequences associated with dropping out of college. II. Causes of College Dropout A. Lack of motivation One of the primary reasons why there are many cases of college dropout is due to the lack of motivation. Nearly half of young adults drop out of college because classes seem to disinterest them. As a result, they find no motivation to study; this triggers young people to drop out of college since they find no need to be in class (Feldman & Newcomb 291). This may result from the youth spending time with friends who may not have any interest in school work or classes. The friendships of other students who do not like classes always lead to high chances of college dropout. Students may lack interest in school work since it may be demanding and they cannot be able to handle the pressure of academics. The lack of motivation may also result from the lack of inspiration to work hard in class (Miller 23). In most cases, this leads to discontent with schoolwork; consequently, such youths may drop out of school. Moreover, feeling unmotivated may result from the belief of the young adults that school is boring. As a result, the young person may refer to school as irrelevant and a place where they learn nothing. In addition, the graduation requirements of a school may lead to lack of motivation by the students. Therefore, students who fail to achieve the college requirements may be forced to quit since they cannot meet the required standards. B. Employment Another cause of high cases of college dropout includes securing employment while still in college. Students who get decent jobs while studying may prefer to quit college and concentrate on the job, which they prefer more than education. In the initial stages, such students may combine schoolwork with the job they have. However, after sometimes, they realize that the job gives them more benefits than education (Miller 24). As a result, they find it being more preferable to work than to study. After they start working, they may not be able to leave their job since they need the money they earn from the job. In some instances, they may realize that working will enable them to have a better lifestyle than studying. Dropping out of school because of getting employed may result from poverty back at home. Most students who drop out of school to secure employment include those from poor backgrounds. Their parents may be struggling to get school fees for them; as such, such students relieve the parents the burden of having to cater for their needs. As a result, they opt to work and provide for themselves rather than rely on their parents. III. Effects of College Dropout A. Financial effects One of the major effects of college dropout includes financial effects on the side of the student who has dropped out of school. In many instances, most of the students who drop out of the college may end up becoming poor. This may result from the job insecurity associated with lack of enough education. Since the student who has dropped out of school does not have adequate qualifications, they may not secure decent jobs. As a result, the jobs they end getting do not pay well as compared to when they have high qualifications. Thus, they are more likely to stay in poverty than students who continue with their college education until graduation. The low income of non graduates and lowly qualified people means that they will live in perpetual poverty. In addition, there are low chances of getting a job for drop outs while those who finish college have high chances of securing a job (Brown 24). B. Social Effects Apart from affecting the individual who has dropped out of college, there is also an effect on the entire society. There tends to be several social impacts of dropping out of college on the society. For instance, those who drop out of college and fail to secure jobs may enter into crime. In many cases, college and school dropouts end up joining criminal gangs, which terrorize the society and lead to insecurity. This may be a contributing factor to instability, chaos, and anarchy in society. Moreover, dropping out of college has a significant contribution to the high rate of unemployment in the society. This has a negative effect on a country’s economy. This results from the fact that the government may have an obligation to provide for some of the unemployed persons (Watkins 18). Most of the youths who drop out of the college may also engage in drug use and abuse. This poses a significant health risk to the youths, a burden that has to borne by their families and the entire society. High rates of drug abuse among the youths have a negative effect on the growth of the economy of a nation. Thus, college dropout burdens the entire economy of a nation. IV. Conclusion. The problem of school dropout can be solved in a number of ways; first, instructors should emphasize the need for students to pursue the college education up to completion. Awareness should also be created on the part of the students; this will go a long way in helping the students realize the benefits accrued from completion of college. Works Cited Brown, Duane. Dropping Out Or Hanging In: What You Should Know Before Dropping Out of School. London: McGraw-Hill Professional, 1998. Print. Feldman, Kenneth & Newcomb, Theodore. The Impact of College on Student. San Francisco: Transaction Books, 1994. Print. Miller, Jonathan. The Compassionate Community: Ten Values to Unite America. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2007. Print. Watkins, Heidi. Dropping Out of School. Chicago: Greenhaven Press, 2012. Print. Read More