Our society has taught us the “right” sequence of our lives. We are born, go to school, have great jobs, get married and so on. It tells us that we must finish the first step in order to go to the next. Our parents should prepare us first before we officially go to school. We will have satisfying jobs if we successfully finish our college degrees. When you think about it, it is as simple as your daily activities but in reality, there is so much more to it than just finishing college degrees.
College is definitely one of the reasons why students become successful in the long run. College graduates earn more because of having stable jobs. As a result, they are less likely to experience unemployment. More than financial support, college gives students a chance to have more social connections. It also helps in improving their skills and knowledge.
At this point, you can say that having a degree really creates a huge impact in the lives of youngsters. However, this is not always the case because there are students who just do not want to continue in college. For any reason they may have, you might think that dropping out of college means no direction. They will no longer be successful individuals. Believe me, their chance is as high as those who followed the sequence of society.
How many people drop out of college?
Before we discover how dropouts can still be successful, let us first talk about the facts. In an article by Forbes, more than 48% of college students had not yet finished their degrees. Approximately, 2 million students will drop out of college before having their degrees. Wow, this is a lot!
Why students drop out of college?
Now that you know how many people drop out of college, let us now check the reasons why students drop out of college. It is easy to judge these people but then you have to look out for the following reasons because your teenager might experience this in the future.
- Dropping Out of College Reason 1: I do not know what I want.
A typical college student is around 17 or 18 years of age. Now, this is the stage of teenage years when a lot of adjustments are happening. When your child is young, it is easy for him to say that he wants to be a doctor because he watched an interesting movie about it. As your child grows older, he discovers many things and this is when confusion gets in the way.
Universities offer many course programs that could enhance the skills and knowledge of young adults. However, these universities also have deadlines for admissions and examinations. Most the time, teenagers end up choosing the program they do not like because it is the only program they passed. Oftentimes, they are just pressured by their parents to pass the SATs or they expect too much from themselves.
- Dropping Out of College Reason 2: I do not want this university.
Young adults have their own target university based on other people’s feedback or their own research. However, sometimes they do not pass the admission test for these universities. They end up sad about it and look for other universities they could be in. Teenagers will definitely try to embrace the university as much as they can. Even so, they look for more at the end of the day.
- Dropping Out of College Reason 3: I do not have friends in school.
There are times when your teen does not feel the people around him. He does not want to socialize and feels like it is such a waste of time. This is a red flag because having support in schools is a big factor for your child to stay in there. It is hard to get by without people whom your teenager could talk to every break periods. It is also important for him to have someone he could share his thoughts regarding issues in school or his program. If young adults could not have a support system, they will eventually leave the university.
- Dropping Out of College Reason 4: My friends are dropping out.
Other young adults are friendly and sociable. There is a high tendency that they get too attached to these friends who have the same class every day. When these friends decide to drop out, there is a high chance that your teen will drop out as well. He might not see the point of staying in an institution where his closest friends are not present.
- Dropping Out of College Reason 5: I do not have financial support.
In reality, college is expensive because of several reasons. Some universities take advantage of the fact that people see college as a necessity. They use this as a card to increase tuition and other fees. Another colleges have to pay a lot of professors and faculty members. For whatever reason universities have, students experience hardship in paying university fees especially when they are supporting themselves. This is one of the common reasons why students drop out of college and choose to have jobs instead.
- Dropping Out of College Reason 5: My grades are failing.
When you add up the reasons mentioned above, young adults become demotivated in studying and going to school. As a result, they fail examinations and do not meet deadlines. They see that there is no point in working hard since they might end up not finishing their degrees. Other reason for failing grade is that the standard of universities can be too much for your child.
People after Dropping Out of College
How many people drop out of college? A lot. Although this is the case, do you know that there are people who became very successful after they left universities? Here are some of them who, with no doubt, discovered what to do next.
I just dropped out of college now what, an answer from Bill Gates.
Bill Gates is known for his most convenient invention, Microsoft. Gates started programming at a very young age. He studied in Harvard wherein he took a pre-law major and other computer-related courses. After 2 years of stay, he finally decided to drop out of Harvard to start his own company. Until now, Bill Gates is a successful and intelligent man who helps others through his invention and charity works. Gates believes that sometimes success teaches people that they cannot lose but this is not true for the most successful Harvard dropout.
I just dropped out of college now what, an answer from John Mackey.
John Mackey is an American businessman who owns Whole Foods Market. He studied at the University of Texas for six years with the aim to learn several things without finishing a degree. While studying, he is working for a vegetarian cooperative. After six years of stay, Mackey decided to drop out and start his own business. He started as the co-founder of SaferWay and is now the CEO of a multinational organization, Whole Foods. Mackey believes that even though he did not have a formal education in business, he discovered many things that worked to his advantage.
I just dropped out of college now what, an answer from James Cameron.
James Cameron is the famous filmmaker of many films including Titanic. Cameron went to Fullerton College to study Physics which he did not finish so he switched to English. He decided to drop out and started taking several jobs. At this point, he continued to write whenever he had time. After seeing Star Wars, he decided to quit as a truck driver and take the risk in the film industry. Cameron is now a successful writer, director and producer of films. He believes that you should not limit yourself from what you can achieve.
When Your Teen Wants to Drop Out of College
Of course, parents want the best education for their children. Hearing their children are dropping out of college can be alarming and confusing to them. If you are a parent who does not know what to do next, here are some tips you might consider doing:
- Listen to your child
You have to know the reason why your teen wants to quit college. Have an open mind and do not force him to do what you want. The key is to listen carefully and understand the feelings of your young adult. There is a chance to convince him to continue college or to let him do what he wants if you already know where he is coming from.
- Provide the pros and cons of dropping out
For teenagers who are not yet decided, you have to assess the pros and cons with them. During this time, you do not have to impose what you want. Allow your child to realize on his own. Just guide him about the things he might gain and lose if he quits college.
- Support your child
If your child is really decided, support him in the best way you can. This will start by accepting the fact that he will not finish his degree and that is fine. You have to let him know that you are there for him no matter what. Do not judge your young adult with his decision rather encourage him to be a successful person.
- Plan the future with your child
Ask your child what he wants to do and plan it with him. If he wants to start a business, help him to do so. If he wants to paint, let him. This is a tough situation for both of you but you always have to remember that your child needs your guidance and support no matter what. Judgment and discouragements will lead to nowhere at this point.
- Expose your child to online courses or coaching programs
If your child cannot take the stress in universities and socializing, online programs are the best way to boost his interest again. In this way, he would have his own schedule and will become more disciplined. Online courses are definitely shorter and less stressful than those from the university curriculum.
Risepreneur: The Next Step
Risepreneur is one of the most convenient and effective providers of helpful programs. It teaches teenagers about life skills and business skills. The services are all online and paid through a membership fee. Risepreneur aims to give every teenager a brighter future by helping them reach self-actualization. Regardless of teenagers’ career path, it guides every young adult to have a better life for them to overcome the problems they may face.
Risepreneur knows that not all teenagers are interested or will start a business. It is one of the reasons why their team also provide other services like mentoring or coaching. Through having a mentor, your child will be guided and encouraged to achieve his goals. Confidence is also one of the characteristics that Risepreneur enhances. This is very useful especially to teenagers who just dropped out of school and lost in life.
Another good thing is that your child is given the opportunity to study at his own pace. Since the curriculum is available online, your teenager can study whenever and wherever he wants. Do not worry about being away from your child because Risepreneur allows you to check on the progress of your child. Through work assignments, you will get to bond and discuss things with your child.
Takeaway
Dropping out of college seems a sign of failure for both young adults and their parents. Nonetheless, both of them should realize that this is not the end of the road. There is always a hope for those who persevere and do not give up. Sometimes, being in college would just not work out the way it does with other people.
There are other things that teenagers can do like starting their business, helping their parents or looking for the job they really want. At the end of the day, what matters is not the things that young adults failed to do but the dreams they are yet to achieve at their own pace.
