3 Reasons Why Students Might Drop Out of College

Written by college student P. A. Owens on October 22, 2018

3 Reasons Why Students Might Drop Out of College

            There could be many reasons someone who desires to go to college would choose to drop out. So many people want to go to college, but a lot of them would have a long road ahead of them to make it happen if they go that route. Some people simply do not have the funds. Others have too much going on in their personal lives to complete a college degree in a reasonable amount of time. Another reason could be that, due to their work life, they do not have the time. Three of the main reasons for dropping out of college could include financial difficulties, maintaining personal and family obligations, and balancing work responsibilities.

            Unfortunately for a lot of people, financial difficulties are a reality. A lack of finances have been a setback for aspiring college students for decades. The average American’s paycheck will barely pay for their own costs at home which can include dependents, groceries, medical expenses, and healthcare. Many of the general public do not relish the thought of having the responsibility and inconvenience of student loans during and after college; therefore, they just forfeit the thought of going in the first place. Case in point, “many young people who haven't graduated worry about borrowing money for college… the risk of being in debt often outweighs the potential reward of having a college diploma” (Johnson 16). Financial difficulties have been a roadblock for many aspiring students. Sadly, the cycle of withdrawing from college because of poor funds continues through the generations because they simply have no other choice.

Personal and family obligations must always be considered when making life altering decisions, like when and where to attend college. In most cases, the provider of the family must get a job to sustain the needs of all of the lives they must provide for. Many newly graduated high school students worry about how they will adjust to being away from their family for such long amounts of time if their college of choice is far away from their hometown. An article called “Finding the Best Fit for College” states that, “the homesickness and rocky adjustment to college-level work many freshmen face can be brutal (sic)” (Gearon). So even if a student has the option of going away to college, they may end up quitting due to the unhappiness of their situation. There could also be health setbacks throughout one’s life to throw them off track of going to college. These are some personal reasons that have been the setback of people attending college.

Work responsibilities are inevitable for most of the population. Often times, one’s employment obligations do not allow for many outside undertakings; but, the rewards of having a college education are usually much more satisfying compared to those without. For example, “a college graduate may earn close to double what a high school graduate takes home in a year… earnings for full-time workers ages 18 and older continue to rise with education level” (Raley). Employment takes a lot of time and effort for most people on a day to day basis. It can be an enjoyable task for some people, but for a lot of people, for example military personnel, it can be very difficult and stressful every day of the week. Many military recruits are working with weapons and explosives all day, which can be life threatening if they do one thing wrong. When work becomes too busy or strenuous to add anything extra, like college, a person typically does not even begin to consider it.

So many reasons can be a stopping point for an ambitious person to attend the college of their choice. All of their hopes and dreams can dissolve within minutes if there is one roadblock. Those setbacks could be as simple as not having the proper funds available for them to attend school. A person could simply feel too obligated to their family to get a college education. Perhaps an individual has a job which does not allow for any extra outside undertakings, like college. Many reasons have been obstacles of dropping out or not attending college in the past and still continue to be setbacks today. 

Works Cited

Gearon, Christopher J. "Finding the Best Fit for College." U.S. News Digital Weekly, vol. 6, no. 50, 12 Dec. 2014, pp. 11-14. Business Source Complete. Accessed 27 Sept. 2018.

Johnson, Jean. "One Degree of Separation." Educational Leadership, vol. 69, no. 7, Apr. 2012, p. 16. Associates Programs Source, Accessed 27 Sept. 2018.

Raley, Yvonne. "Why We Quit." Scientific American Mind, vol. 18, no. 4, Aug/Sep2007, pp. 74-79. Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, Accessed 27 Sept. 2018.