Picking a College: Finding the Right Fit
Just about this time every year I find myself talking to young people about the sacrifices they and their families will be making to go to college. And each year, that number increases as more and more young people realize the value and necessity of earning a college degree. For many young high school graduates, the decision has been made years ago and the question becomes one of which school becomes the top choice. Reasons for a particular choice abound and it is all a matter of where one enters the competition for highly sought after Ivy Leagues, Flagship State Universities, small select private colleges, National Service Academies and the thousands of junior and senior colleges located around the country. While the number of students attending college is impressive, only 55% of these students will complete their degree in 6 years. The reasons for such a low retention rate are complex and sought after by college administrators across the nation. Understanding how students choose a particular school as well as how they fair once they attend their school of choice provides important insight for us all. It is equally important to understand what factors go into a student dropping out or failing to complete a course of study. Given the cost and time invested in a college education by both the individual and their family and through federally supported grants and loans, it is imperative that we gain some understanding into this phenomenon.
Often we will point to a student’s poor college performance or lack of adequate preparation at the high school level to explain high drop out rates, especially in the first years of college. Maybe they just weren’t “motivated enough.” Unfortunately, we would be simplifying the fact that many factors go into this. We know that many bright and motivated students drop out while other “late bloomers” may go on to successfully complete programs and graduate on time. Would that same drop-out have done better attending school elsewhere?
Choosing College
How do people go about choosing a college? What is it in their motivation, expectations, life experience or goals that makes them choose to go to a particular school? What are they expecting to get from their college experience?
I have been interviewing high school seniors for college for over 30 years. And when I ask them why they chose a particular college, the most frequent answers have to do with studying a particular major, pursuing professional goals, parent expectations or the desire to be successful and make a lot of money. It is interesting that they attribute the fulfillment of their goals to attending a particular school rather than a particular course of study or profession. “I know I will be successful if I go to X University!” Somehow, the student’s expectation is that attending a particular school is the sole determinant for attaining success. The right school equals the right job. The problem is that in today’s competitive landscape, the right school may have 20,000 applicants for a freshman class of 1,000. Given that the competition has become so fierce, I worry about how these same students will redefine their definition of success. In other words, if the key to success is getting into the right school, what happens when you don’t? This attitude also sends a crazy message to students. A number of years ago I remember interviewing a student who had set a particular Ivy League as his goal from the tender age of 6. To accomplish this, he studied hard, forsaking social opportunities to hang out with friends, attended college preparatory programs every summer from 9th grade on, got up early for extra tutoring in college level math and physics and entered every academic competition in the state. He scored perfect SATs and was class Valedictorian. Everyone told him…..with his scores and grades, he was a sure thing….until he received a rejection letter. What do you tell that student?
How do you convince that student that their success lies not in gaining admission to a particular school, but in the same type of efforts, sacrifice and motivation that got him/her through the first 18 years of their life?
For many students, the drive to attend a specific school may have less to do with gaining an academic advantage and more about the image the school projects. Party schools, jock schools, preppy schools, elite schools, public schools, all project an image, which often attracts the student who wants to identify with that image. We all have some idea of college, garnered from movies and television. In my day, Animal House was a particular favorite with the outrageous antics of Jim Belushi and his fellow frat brothers. More current movies and televisions shows depict college life in a way that appeals to a wide variety of students seeking the independence, social life and scholarly pursuits found on today’s campuses.
Some students are more excited about moving away from home, joining a fraternity or pursuing an athletic career than picking a major or planning a career. Universities notorious for being known as “party schools” struggle with an image that, while negative, attract large numbers of applicants every year. Some people fall in love with the whole college image: ivy covered buildings, shady quad settings, late night study breaks, football games and homecoming. Some students feel enormous pressure as a legacy to fill their parents’ shoes or fulfill their parent’s dream by attending a particular school. And let’s not forget the draw membership in a sorority or fraternity has in many college students’ lives. Whether these reasons seem valid to you, the point is that students are motivated by a variety of factors. So, should we really be surprised when things inevitably go wrong?
Why Do Students Fail to Finish?
In spite of the strength of some of these motivations, they may not be sufficient in enabling a student to stay on course and complete a college degree. The fact is that in addition to being fun, college is “tough”. Many students have not had the experience of dealing with things that are “tough”. For the first time, there is no one around to tell them when to study or how to study. Studying in high school may have been simply doing homework and looking over notes before an exam. No mom to make sure you’re eating properly or getting enough sleep. How do you pace yourself when there is a tendency to overdo it…just because you can? College work can be frustrating and whether you attend a big university or small college, it can be down right lonely at times. Missing family and childhood friends, comfort foods and family rituals seems particularly distressing when you’re having a bad day. Some schools can be so large and impersonal that it is easy to get lost in the crowd. It can seem like everyone else is having a great time but you! College is expensive. Have you checked out the price of those science text books? If you have to take a lot of loans or use up your savings or work part time, there is even less time to just have fun. While everyone else seems to be partying, shopping and going off on holiday breaks, the poor student is counting pennies and feeling just a little envious of the rich roommate with the great car and latest electronic “necessities”.
Finishing the Course
Those that stay in school and make it through have an idea of the bigger picture: A life goal where college is a stepping stone, a boot camp for the real world. They are able to balance the hard work against the tremendous opportunity to grow and test one’s wings. They recognize the opportunities to forge life-long friendships, get involved in real life issues and learn about the world in disciplines they were never exposed to. That first internship or work study program was just the experience to expose them to a future profession. The first failure or frustration taught them how to grow and learn from mistakes. Budgeting taught them how to prepare for living on that first pay check. They started out going to school with a best friend and made three new ones along the way. They learned to really multitask and had the satisfaction of succeeding at something they never thought they’d understand or be able to master: All important lessons for life on the job, in personal relationships and as a parent.
For those students who ended up dropping out, maybe it was finances, or adjustment problems or plain old homesickness. Maybe the courses were too tough and they just couldn’t keep up with the work. Maybe it was the wrong fit or circumstances beyond their control. After all, time doesn’t stand still. Circumstances change: one’s health may decline, people grow up and the world around us changes. For whatever reason, the course one charted has changed, veered off in uncharted waters. This becomes a life lesson as well. How does one deal with change, crisis, frustration, disappointment? How does one transition or adapt to change?
Every person changes their mind, or fails at something. We all have challenges we will have to take on. The difference is how we handle them. There are many college students who will change their major several times. There are graduates who will change their professional goals and many adults who will change careers several times in their lifetime. The idea that the career you choose will become a lifelong profession is no longer the norm. This current generation will spend an average of 2-3 years at each job.
The time when you worked at one company until you retired at age 65 is long gone. It’s what life is all about. Staying the course is less about how long it takes to finish but how close you get to your goal and what you learn about yourself along the way.
So, if you can figure it out the first time…good for you and if not, remember that college is an adult education. It does not have an age limit or a time limit. More and more adults are returning to school to pursue new careers or expanding on their skill sets. Some are taking courses just to expand their knowledge and interest in a particular field. And the only cost to you is time and money. For some people, waiting and working before attending college or graduate school, gives them opportunity to figure out what they really want. What work environment fits, what profession matches their lifestyle? This strategy may actually save you money and time. Knowing what you really want can help you focus your energies in a particular direction. This is the case with many adults who return to college. They know what they want and go after it. The young newly graduated high school student may need the time and opportunity to explore a number of disciplines before they choose a major. In either case, as long as you weigh all of these factors, you’re likely to come out that much closer to your goals in the end. And after all, isn’t that what going to college is all about?
Remember, college should never be seen as the goal, but rather as the shortest part of a long journey.
