"However difficult getting into college may have been, it turns out, college admissions officials say, that that may have been the easiest part of the transition to college life. Inadequate preparation, unrealistic expectations and other issues that college freshmen don’t anticipate can become important obstacles to happiness and success.
With about one-third of undergraduates transferring at one point in their careers and an even bigger percentage of students who drop out for financial and other reasons, staying in college is becoming increasingly hard for many students.
So what do students and parents need to know to avoid disaster?" …
In the US, we simply send too many kids to 4-year schools. There seems to be this stigma in a lot of circles that one must go to college to be successful and doing a trade job is beneath people. Germany has it right. They send a much lower proportion of students to 4-year schools, but their retention and on-time graduation rates are a lot higher.
Good article. Anecdotally, I’ve seen unexpected things from the classmates of my kids, both undergraduates. I’ve seen the HS sports star drop out after one semester and now works at the local pet shop, I’ve seen another make it five semesters before dropping out and now works at the local bowling alley. I’ve seen yet another suffer a mental breakdown after two semesters at big city school and now attends the local CC, and on and on. But, I’ve also seen kids excel in college that were good HS students but not academic superstars.
Although kids dropped out when I was an undergrad many moons ago, I think things have shifted a bit, where there’s a bigger focus now on “getting in” than there is on teaching kids basic life skills and independence needed to stay in.
I thought this was a great article! Thanks for sharing it with us! Additional “stuff” that students need to know when heading off to college, in my opinion, are:
Nobody is going to hold your hand.
What does this mean? YOU have to figure out what the graduation requirements are. YOU have to figure out what the requirements are for your major. YOU have to recognize when you need extra help and figure out who to ask in order to get that help.
Adulting 101
Managing your checking account. Paying your bills on time. Figuring out how to get home for the holidays. Logistics like finding transportation to the airport (if you're flying home) or getting a ride home from a friend (if you don't have a car).
Study Skills
If you were the sort of student who could just show up for a test an get an A without trying, then you will definitely have a harder time in college. Go to study skills workshops at your on campus counseling or tutoring center.
Hand write your notes. Don't take notes with a laptop.
Research shows that when you write your notes in class by hand, there is something about it that results in you remembering key points from the lecture BETTER than if you took notes by typing them into your computer in class.
Study Skills part 2 - flash cards
It works. Use flash cards to help you memorize key terms & concepts. If you don't want to go "old school" with 3x5 cards, then use Quizlet on your smart phone.
GO TO THE PROFESSOR'S OFFICE HOURS!
Even if it's just to introduce yourself and you don't have a specific question yet. It will make it easier to ask for help later in the semester if the professor already knows who you are.
DON'T SKIP CLASS!
Go to class. Really.
READ THE READING ASSIGNMENTS THAT THE PROFESSOR HAS ASSIGNED!
This might be obvious, but there's a reason why the professor assigned that reading. Yes, you'll be doing a lot of reading in college. Get used to it.
Figure out how to manage your time.
Use a calendar app on your smart phone. Use a day planner if you want something in paper to hold. Write down big assignments & due dates for your classes on a big calendar you keep on your desk or on the wall in your room. Also, use a white board or something like that to make a daily "to do" list of homework that you need to complete that day.
Don't wait for people to approach you and ask you if you need help.
If you're confused about something, ask.
If you think you'd benefit from a study group in a particular class, approach your classmates and set up your own study group. If you live on campus, offer to hold the study group at your dorm. Or at the library. If you have a group of other students who you have to answer to each week, it will make it easier for you to stay on target with getting homeworks completed & turned in on time. Plus, if you're confused about something, you can ask one of your study buddies and maybe he/she can explain it to you before you go to the professor.
If you want to join a study group, don't wait for someone to invite you. You have to suck it up and ask yourself.
Go take a tour of the campus library. The tour might include an overview of how to use the library's various research databases that you can use to do research for various term papers and other projects.
Make sure you sleep.
Don't plan on living on 3-4 hours of sleep a night. Make sure that you are well rested.
The problem for me isn’t so much the work. And yes, getting into college was much easier than staying in college! Its much more difficult to keep up with FAFSA, financial aid, tax transcripts etc… My high school teachers well prepared me for college. The problem for me staying in school is costs. I graduated in 2015 and I still cannot find a steady path to finish my college career because I do not have the economic means. I am still very fickle because of my career choice and tuition costs. Please review my forum if you have any advice. 8-|
Heath Einstein, dean of admission at Texas Christian University, said: “In some ways, the struggle to adjust from their cocoons to a new environment are no different from decades past. The difference, though, is that they arrive less equipped to handle independent living.”
I wonder what some of the most important causes are.
I think the main cause is that getting into college now requires vastly different skills than it used to. I mean, look at tucsonmom’s list of advice… in the past, independence, responsibility, adaptability, etc all helped high schoolers get into college. Now, the focus of the application process is very different. Moreover, the population of applicants was more self-selecting. If students lacked those skills or felt that they lacked the academic qualities to survive in college, they would’ve felt more comfortable taking another path. Now the expectation is that everyone will attend–so, of course, unqualified people feel forced into going to college when maybe they’d be more successful elsewhere. Then, of course, there’s the cost…
@tucsonmom I love those tips! May I humbly add one more?
Get to class super early the first day.
Notice who comes in first and if they go to the front and center. If so, you've found your study or group partner. Chances are they are a strong student.
You'll find meaning the quality of the classes and activities you choose, rather than the quantity; choose carefully and contribute significantly for the best value!