College Dropouts Essay

It’s safe to assume that everyone who applies for college is taking the first step to improving their lives. We are not forced to go to college like we are grade school. It’s totally optional yet those of us who chose not to attend college are looked down upon in our society. Our generation is under immense pressure to succeed. The first step to success is usually defined by graduating from College and getting a degree. Those of us who chose to go to college away from home are taking a huge risk and testing our ability to be away from our safety zone. Many teenagers don’t realize that it’s a whole new world and they may not be ready to embrace it all at once. Even I often find myself a bit overwhelmed by all the new things I must adapt to. In high school, teachers and counselors were there to guide you, as high school classes are typically smaller than the entering freshman class. It’s a lot harder to get the personalized attention that you’ve been used to and that could turn people off quickly. Sometimes high school doesn’t really prepare students for college because they never get a realistic view of life. Even in high school you’re sheltered and teachers constantly remind you of assignments. Professors won’t waste their time reminding a student of their assignments. You receive a syllabus and they expect you to be aware of all the readings and upcoming assignments. Many turn to the social scene when work is too hard. Eleanor Roosevelt once said,† With freedom comes responsibility. † Some students have lack of self control and have difficulty balancing work and fun. They get stressed out in class and decide to just go out and party instead of doing their homework. Without a college degree it’s hard find a well paying job. During our parents generation it was probably easier to find a job whether you had a high school degree or not. Now those with just high school degrees are lucky to find jobs at fast food restaurants. Times are changing and for the better but the number of college dropouts is still on the rise. A variety of causes lead to the effects of college dropouts. These causes range from internal conflicts within the student to external causes that they can not control. A college degree is very necessary and could determine whether or not a student will be able to support themselves and their future family. I contemplated withdrawing my first few weeks of college because of personal problems. I found it difficult to concentrate in class because of all the things that were going on. I started talking to a counselor and if it wasn’t for him I would have given up those first two weeks. He told me that giving up now was a waste of my life because I’d been in â€Å"training† my whole life for this higher education. I’m glad that I decided to stay and one day when my children attended college I will be understanding of all the things that could cause a student to want to drop out.