It is a cultural norm in the western world, including the Caribbean region, for students, after attaining a high school diploma to pursue a college education, and for most people a tertiary education is considered a necessary first step in attaining a desirable quality of life. Many people who attend college or university however, end up leaving without a degree. In the United States about 56 percent of students do not graduate after enrolling in their institution (Tinto 2001). Though this is a slightly dated statistic, the numbers remain the same today. Retention of students in colleges and universities is becoming more and more difficult as each graduating class goes by and the issue is growing in concern. Bright-minded, well-meaning, …show more content…
Much of the ideal college experience involves interacting with peers. How connected students feel to their university is an important construct to consider when looking at why students may or may not persist at an institution. (Morrow, 2012). Connection and involvement in school activities is an integral part of the overall college experience and becomes a factor when exploring this issue. Morrow states that a student’s likelihood to drop out of college is not only affected by the academic environment, but is also affected by his or her overall social experience at the institution (par 2). Morrow also states that the more perceived peer support a student (freshman) reported, the more likely they were to have returned in the fall for their sophomore year (par 9). This indicates that a sense of belonging, or lack thereof for an individual student is a major influencer of his/her decision to remain at an institution. The higher the level of academic and social integration achieved, the less likely the student is to voluntarily leave the institution. (Whittington, 22.) Therefore, if a student has a healthy ecosystem of social connections, positive influences and academic achievement he or she is much more likely to run the full course of the college/university program. One aspect of this sense of no belonging is race. A study conducted by Hoi ku Sen, suggested that black students on a predominantly white campus do in fact feel more alienated than their white counterparts, and that this alienation is closely related to the dissipation of black students at such
In the essay “Campus Diversity and Student Self-Segregation: Separating Myths from Facts” by Debra Humphreys, the writer explains the research conducted on racial and ethnic groups in many diverse universities. Humphrey’s cites recent research of diversity and self-segregation on college campuses to determine the benefits of each. Humphrey’s first gives us her point of view of self-segregation in which she thinks it doesn’t have a positive impact on students today in the classroom and later on in life. She believes that diversity is an “essential ingredient in many students’ persistence and success in college.” (575, Hoeffner and Hoeffner).
Secondary education rises faster in price than auto insurance. Yet, secondary education is almost required in the United States to succeed. Yes, there are hundreds of people in the United States that have been successful without a college degree, but they are outliers. Students should choose not to go to college based on outliers, but go to college based on the fact thousands have succeeded because of their college degrees. It is more important then ever to know what makes a college great if students are going to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars over four
Colombo explains that “Beginning college can be disconcerting experience” (Colombo, p.1). That there will be more peer pressure from your peers and an increase expectations that you have never faced during your high school days. “In the dorms you may find yourself among people whose backgrounds make them seem foreign and unapproachable” (Colombo, p.1). Colombo also states “If you commute, you may be struggling against a feeling of isolation that you’ve never faced before” (Colombo, p. 1).
It is the American dream to get out of high school and to start working towards your degree, right? Perusing a degree in the United States is not as dream like for some students. Many factors such as the learning environment, where you come from, and the knowledge and will power can shape how the higher education experience can go. While not all of these factors necessarily point to a rough or tough college experience, but also show that we as a nation could help our students be more educated and prepared to pursue and finish a degree. All students should be given equal opportunity and tools to become a successful member of society.
In my community, El Sereno, college is viewed as an option as opposed to it being the next step in life. Most people in my area either begin working or start a family after they graduate from high school. Not always by choice, but in some cases by circumstance. Students in my neighborhood either lack the knowledge, financial support, guidance or even legal status that would otherwise drive them to apply or even go to college. About eighty-percent of students graduated from my high school, but only about twenty-percent ended up attending a four-year university (NINCHE). One of the biggest reasons for student’s low college entrance rate has to deal with their family's socioeconomic
How to attract and retain adult students is an enduring question for providers of adult education. Adult students must juggle competing demands on their time from study, family, work, and other commitments; their learning goals are often different from those of educational institutions and providers; and their needs and aspirations may change during the education process, sometimes as a result of it. This Brief reviews recent research related to adult student recruitment and retention and provides guidelines for recruiting and retaining adult learners.
In today’s society there is a lot of pressure on students to make this huge payment to go to college, and due to an ungodly amount of money being thrown into universities students feel as though they will be handed a degree in return but that’s not the case at all. In the article “Let’s clarify the ‘College Worth It’ Conversation” by Andrew Kelly he gives the statistics that 45% percent of college students do not finish their degree. High schools need to better inform students interested in furthering their education with these statistics. This can be extremely eye opening to students who think college will be an easy journey with low expectations. I have learned that the more effort and participation I put into my education the more enjoyable and worth the money it seems to
According to current estimates approximately 75 percent of college students are now nontraditional students – older than 25, attending school part time, and having delayed entry or reentry into college for a variety of personal reasons. Post secondary education is needed by such students to develop their careers and to acquire new skills and knowledge in a global society where they are likely to have longer life spans than did workers in the past. This trend is not restricted to North America; it is a worldwide phenomenon.
Students are faced with these problems when deciding whether continuing their education is the right choice. In today’s competitive climate, there is no time to waste. The US as a nation is being left behind by other governments that have focused on funding education. Students in other nations are taking advantage of the educational tools and services available to them in order to progress in life.... ...
As the numbers of college graduates employment have increased for each years, many people have being debating that whether everyone should have college education and whether college education still worth it for everyone. Some people found that they did not gain the benefits that they wish from college education, and some people found that they still could not find the job they desire after they spent all the money they have on college education and being in heavy debts. Therefore, people started to believe that colleges are not designed for everyone, and force oneself to attend colleges could lead to negative outcomes. Consequently, people who cannot afford to attend colleges, who do not have adequate academic skills to be successful in colleges,
to about 83 percent of high school graduates enroll in some form of postsecondary education, but only about 52 percent of students complete their degrees. Further, a very small proportion of students complete a degree in four years—“among students starting at ‘four-year’ institutions, only 34 percent finish a B.A. in four years, 64 percent within six years, and 69 percent within eight and a half years.” Colleges always want students to graduate and support their alma mater. However this begins with deciding what student are mentally readiness and determination for the task that lies ahead, college. In today’s society we struggle trying to find a proper definition for college readiness. This is the main reason statistics and graduation rates suffer in the way that they do. Just because a high school student reaches the age of 18, obtains a high school diploma, and has functional literacy, does that really make students college ready?
It seems as though the majority of college students these days aren’t looking to further their education because it’s what they really want, they do it to please their parents, to be accepted by society, or because there’s nothing else for them to do (Bird, 372). These expectations have led to students being unhappy and stressed, and have pushed them into a school or a job that they don’t particularly care for.
Milem, J., & Berger, J. (1997). A modified model of college student persistence: Exploring the relationship between Astin’s theory of involvement and Tinto’s theory of student departure. Journal of College Student Development, 38, 387- 400.
As a first year student, college is an excellent opportunity to discover one’s own sense of identity and interact with a diverse range of people. Unfortunately, everyone will experience moments of confusion, loneliness, or even disengagement during their college years, which may cause a lack of interest for campus involvement. Through many studies, there are several theories that determine the parallelism between a student’s growth and their involvement interest, which also provides helpful methods for first year students to overcome challenges during this time. As Luckyday mentors this gives us insight to how to carefully approach different situations from mentees while forming a lasting impact on their transition from high school to college.
As the late Nelson Mandela once said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” When it comes to the topic of higher education and if it is worthwhile, strong opinions come into play. Many people believe that higher education is valuable because there are undeniable benefits from the time put forth in college and beyond. On the other hand, some people also believe that college is not for everyone, and all career paths do not require a college degree. Higher education is a valuable tool from which the benefits can been seen in future salaries, personal growth, and in opportunities that arise.