Why Do Some Students Drop Out – and How Can You Avoid It?
Writer:
You got into college, congratulations! But you’re not out of the woods yet.
In the US, nearly a quarter of first-time bachelor’s degree students will drop out in their first year.
Nearly a quarter of students who complete their bachelor’s degree will take more than 4 years to do so.
Including non-bachelor's degrees (like associate degrees), nearly 40% of students will drop out before graduation.
Why do some students drop out – and what can you do about it?
Bad grades
Students who do poorly in their early classes are more likely to drop out.
Check your grades early and often – and be honest with yourself about how you’re doing in a class.
If you’re at risk of failing, talk to your academic advisor. See if your school offers free tutoring. Find a study group, or go to your professor’s (or TA’s) office hours.
If necessary, drop the class early on so you can devote more time to the rest of your classes.
Be honest with yourself about why you’re failing – are you partying most nights? Staying up late playing videogames? Spending hours per day on social media?
Can you change those habits on your own? Do you need outside help – like a therapist or support group – to overcome them?
The earlier you identify this, the more hope there is for support – and the more likely that you won’t drop out.
Always hand in your assignments on time. Earning a 50% is better than a 0 and may even allow you to pass.
Some professors do not accept late assignments, so you may want to prioritize their assignments over others.
But always prioritize assignments that are weighted more heavily towards your final grade.
Mental health and learning challenges
Students with mental health and learning challenges may be more likely to struggle their first term in college.
If you fall into that category, be aware that you might need more support to perform as well as you would like.
You can go to the counseling center or the disabilities office, depending on your needs.
Low self-awareness
Students with low self-awareness – AKA students who overestimate their abilities – are more likely to drop out.
Again, be honest with yourself – and those close to you. Keeping challenges to yourself in college makes it harder to overcome them.
If you think you already know the material so don’t need to study, but then get a 50% on the test, what’s your reaction? Do you learn your lesson and study for the next exam? Or do you blame the test, do the same thing next time, or just give up?
If there are other, outside factors influencing your performance, acknowledge them. How likely are they to change?
Are you missing class because of your work shifts, or are you staying up late and sleeping through early classes? Do your sports obligations take up too much of your time? Are there major stressors in your family that you can’t control?
Go back to the suggestions in the “bad grades” section.
Also, be aware of what your peers are doing to study – or not study.
Just because your roommate seems to be doing well with minimal studying doesn’t mean the same applies to you.
For all you know, they lack self-awareness and are not, in fact, doing well.
Try to gravitate towards peers in your class who seem to be paying attention, taking notes, and studying more often.
If you follow what others are doing and are not in tune with what you need, you are less likely to succeed.
Understand that you will likely need to work harder than you did in high school in order to achieve the same grades.
If you find that you’re working with the same study habits or studying less than you did in high school, that should signal that something isn’t right.
Lack of Connection
Students who don’t connect with their peers and community are more likely to drop out.
Put yourself out there!
If you live in a dorm on-campus, leave your door open sometimes. When you see your floormates hanging out in a common area, join them and ask what’s up.
Join a club or organization. If you have an interest – or one you’d like to pursue – chances are others do too!
Go to sporting events or other school activities.
Sit next to someone in a lecture and strike up a conversation before or after class. If you need something to talk about, reference a funny or unusual thing that happened in class!
Race and socioeconomics
Social, economic, and cultural factors – like working long hours, coming from a low-income family, and being a member of an ethnic minority – increase the likelihood of dropping out.
Black college students have the highest dropout rate – 49.5% according to some studies – of any demographic.
Experiences of discrimination are believed to contribute to drop-outs
This is obviously not within your control, but it’s important to know the obstacles and plan accordingly.
Wealthy members of the majority group – i.e., in America, white people from high-income families – have certain advantages.
They are less likely to face discrimination, may have gone to the best schools, may not need to have a job in college, and may be able to afford outside, private tutors.
Meanwhile if you are a wealthy person of color, you might have fancy tutors but still find that some people make negative assumptions about you based on outdated stereotypes.
So what can you do about it?
If you work long hours, consider taking a smaller course load, even if it means registering as a part-time student. You may graduate in more than four years, but so do many others, and you’ll have an easier time financially and with your studies.
Check with your financial aid office to see if your school has any resources set aside for you.
Try not to compare yourself to people who came from a more privileged background. If you need more or different supports than they do, that does not make you “less than.”
If you’re a person of color, consider joining clubs or organizations like the Black Student Union, Asian American Pacific Islander Club, or whatever group resonates. Realistically, you may experience challenges that your rich, white counterparts don’t – but you don’t have to face them alone.
If you face discrimination, you can report it to the school. Your student handbook should detail the procedure, or you can ask your RA or look for the Title IX Coordinator, Office of Equity and Inclusion, or similar.
If you don’t feel heard, you can file a discrimination complaint with the federal Office of Civil Rights.
