Factors for the College Dropout Boom
Ashley Dippel
T. Roper
English 100 –Essay 1
June 8, 2012
Title of Essay College is an institution or establishment that provides higher levels of education or specialized training, be it vocational, or for a profession. There are many good reasons to stay in school and complete these programs and earn a degree. However, many students will endure the process of enrollment at the beginning of a semester, but soon thereafter fall short of themselves and eventually drop out. We often see high enrollment and low graduation rates. There are a variety of factors that influence a student’s likelihood to drop out including the devaluation of degrees in the economy, academic preparedness and perhaps, life itself. As the value of the educational degrees deteriorate each year, so do the number of graduates. The idea that the high cost of college debt will turn into high returns is no longer a belief. Where a high school degree once sufficed for entrance into a middle class or occupational field, now a college degree is practically required. A bachelor’s degree is the new high school diploma, a master’s degree is the new BA, and so forth. My friend Jamie graduated the University of Pennsylvania with a bachelor’s in Epidemiology. Her degree wasn’t enough to continue in a valid career so she then took a job bartending in order to sustain not only her everyday means, but also the finances that come along with graduating, such as student loans. Being thousands of dollars in debt with no prospect of getting jobs in desired fields or being underemployed may deter those currently enrolled in school and validate their reasoning for dropping out. Preparation and motivation are important tools to a successful college career. Many students are unsure of how to even go about obtaining a degree or the details of what the institutions are expecting. Many high schools do a poor job preparing teenagers for college either because of the limits the school has on resources
T. Roper
English 100 –Essay 1
June 8, 2012
Title of Essay College is an institution or establishment that provides higher levels of education or specialized training, be it vocational, or for a profession. There are many good reasons to stay in school and complete these programs and earn a degree. However, many students will endure the process of enrollment at the beginning of a semester, but soon thereafter fall short of themselves and eventually drop out. We often see high enrollment and low graduation rates. There are a variety of factors that influence a student’s likelihood to drop out including the devaluation of degrees in the economy, academic preparedness and perhaps, life itself. As the value of the educational degrees deteriorate each year, so do the number of graduates. The idea that the high cost of college debt will turn into high returns is no longer a belief. Where a high school degree once sufficed for entrance into a middle class or occupational field, now a college degree is practically required. A bachelor’s degree is the new high school diploma, a master’s degree is the new BA, and so forth. My friend Jamie graduated the University of Pennsylvania with a bachelor’s in Epidemiology. Her degree wasn’t enough to continue in a valid career so she then took a job bartending in order to sustain not only her everyday means, but also the finances that come along with graduating, such as student loans. Being thousands of dollars in debt with no prospect of getting jobs in desired fields or being underemployed may deter those currently enrolled in school and validate their reasoning for dropping out. Preparation and motivation are important tools to a successful college career. Many students are unsure of how to even go about obtaining a degree or the details of what the institutions are expecting. Many high schools do a poor job preparing teenagers for college either because of the limits the school has on resources
Cited: Leonhardt, David. “Students of the Great Recession.” The Way We Live Now: The New York Times. n.p. 7 May 2010. Web. 8 June 2012.