It's one thing to get into college;
it's another to stay there and to graduate
Approximately 25% of freshman students do not return to the same college for their sophomore year, and about 50% of community college students don't return for their second year. Throughout the country, 30% to 40% of students who begin college do not graduate in 5 years or less.
Clearly, finding a way to stay in college is probably a more crucial matter than getting in (because with more than 3,000 colleges in the U.S., chances are you'll find one to get into).
There are five crucial areas that will help you stay in school and succeed. Here's the quick list:
- Have appropriate academic skills for the college you chose. Details…
- Practice good time management skills. Details…
- Be able to connect to a social community. Details…
- Have good self-awareness and be open to personal development. Details…
- Understand the psychological transition you're experiencing going from high school to college and adulthood. Details…
- Identify a career field or goal. Details…
Any number of things can knock you off course, particularly in the first few months you arrive at college. Some common examples of things that can happen which may result in you packing your bags and heading for home are:
- A bad fit between you and the college for a variety of reasons.
- The "hometown honey" syndrome, in which a boyfriend or girlfriend not on campus distracts you from adapting to your new home.
- Any number of disgusting to maddening to downright scary roommate conflicts.
- Money problems, which sometimes arise in your sophomore or junior years.
Use the college's resources as much as possible to help work through any of these problems. The college has made an investment in bringing you to its campus, so the people there want you to succeed. Virtually all campuses have extensive student services departments that include residence life, counseling, financial aid and other offices which have people that are there, well, to serve the students.