Sadly, just over half the students who attend college graduate within six years.
There have been numerous studies designed to uncover the factors that contribute to success in college. Most important, it seems, is the completion of a rigorous college preparatory program in high school.
High school grades and class rank are also pretty good predictors of college success.
And, there is strong evidence that students from families in which education is a high priority are more likely to complete college than students from families which may not place the same value on higher education.
But, once at college, what can a student do to give himself or herself the best chance to leave with a degree? There are no guarantees, but there are two very important things for students to be aware of.
First, freshmen should not carry more than fifteen credit hours. In their first semester, it might even be smarter to limit themselves to twelve credit hours so the adjustment to the academic demands of college can be eased a bit.
Of course, the difficulty of the courses a student chooses is as important as the number of credit hours he or she attempts. Try not to take more than two courses a semester in areas in which you generally struggle.
Next to academic overload, the biggest student “killer” is employment. It’s OK to work, but a job which robs you of too much time, energy or sleep is a prescription for failure in college. If you work more than twenty hours a week, your likelihood of dropping out of college is four times greater than those of your classmates who work fewer hours.
Of course, there are any number of reasons why some students fail to earn a degree, from poor academic preparation and study habits to lack of motivation and failure to manage their time well.
But, for students who have what it takes, there are only two things to remember. Be realistic in choosing your courses and determining your academic load, and do not deny yourself the time and energy you need to be successful by taking a job that requires more than twenty hours a week.
Daniel Z. Kane writes about numerous topics, including online degrees, careers, health, scholarships, hobbies, and contemporary lifestyle issues.
