High school students, their parents and the media often seem obsessed with the importance of getting into the right college. Getting in is certainly important, but even more so is getting that degree. Graduates of four-year colleges earn, on average, nearly double the salaries of those without a degree, enabling them to live more fulfilling lives, better provide for their families and insure stability against economic downturns. Yet, according to The Fiscal Times, only 56% of students enrolled in a four-year college actually go on to earn their bachelor's degree. Why do so many students drop out and what can be done to help students complete college?
A new book by New York-based educational consultant Marcia Cantarella, "I CAN Finish College: The Overcome Any Obstacle and Get Your Degree Guide", addresses this question to the students directly. Dr. Cantarella – a longtime dean at Princeton, New York University and Hunter College, among others – has years of expertise in finding ways to make education serve the students, especially those of diverse backgrounds.
She notes that there are many reasons why students drop out – finances are just one. Many students don't know how to navigate their college experience. Students who are first generation, low-income, immigrant or minority especially may find college intimidating. Without personal role models or the advice that resolves small issues before they become full-blown crises, many of these students just give up.
At a recent book event in New York, Dr. Cantarella described her book as a conversation, one students can refer to throughout college, to help them succeed. With short, readily digestible chapters on financing your education, choosing courses, taking advantage of college support services, time management and study skills, the book takes students from choosing to go to college in the first place to life after graduation.
Dr. Cantarella reminds students to "ask questions, ask questions!" To students who feel too intimidated to ask for help, she admonishes, "You're paying for this stuff! That's your tuition: you're entitled to those services." As hard as college may seem at the time, she notes, "it's as forgiving an environment as you'll ever find," so it's paramount to take full advantage of this unique learning experience.
That's smart advice for all students, and a reminder that college will be challenging, but that there are resources to help every student committed to getting his or her degree.
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