The first years of college can be stressful for both the student and parent. Helping your child as he or she enters the final stages of child developmental should include a discussion of post secondary school options. In some parts of the country, less than 25% of the students who enter college leave with a degree. For some parents, this is shocking news. For others, this statistic encouraged parents to do some prior planning with their child that would lead them to the positive side of this statistic; the side that included college or post secondary graduation. Author, Dr. Randall Hansen, shares some post high school planning tips in his article: “College: 25 Tips to Help You Survive and Thrive Your freshmen Year and Beyond.”
Your First Year Of College
Perhaps you were class president in high school. Or perhaps you were a member of the honor society. You could have graduated in the top percentile of your graduating class; perhaps you were even valedictorian. Maybe your were in the honors program or the International Baccalaureate program. Actually, it doesn’t really matter what you did in high school as you make the transition to college. High school success (or lack of it) doesn’t automatically apply to college.
You start college with a clean academic slate, along with a lot of independence and a myriad of critical decisions as you begin the transition into adulthood. The decisions that you make and the actions you take during this first year of college will have a major impact on the rest of your college experience.
According to American College Testing (ACT), one in every four college students leaves before completing their sophomore year - and nearly half of all freshmen will either drop out before obtaining a degree or complete their college education elsewhere.
Top 10 Reasons College Students Leave/Drop-Out
1. Too much fun at the expense of classes and grades
2. A sense of not belonging; a sense of isolation, homesickness
3. Academically unprepared; burned-out on education
4. Financial constraints; low on funds
5. Personal family issues
6. Academic climate/fit
7. Choice of wrong major; major not offered
8. Lack of advising, guidance
9. Demands from part-time or full-time employment
10. Move to a different geographic location
But wait! This article is not meant to scare you or take away any of the joy, excitement, and anticipation you feel about going to college. Quite the opposite. This article is all about the things you need to do to not only survive your first year of college, but to thrive in college. And many of the tools, skills, and habits you develop through this article can not only be used to help you succeed in college, but in your future career as well.
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