Drexel Gilbert
The Corsair
The next time you are sitting in class, look around you. Statistics suggest that up to half of the students in your class will not complete their program of study and graduate. Depending on which study you read, the dropout percentages range from 40 percent to 56 percent.
While reasons for dropping out range from financial to health and family concerns, Jeff King, director of the Koehler Center for Teaching Excellence at Texas Christian University, points to a more basic reason. King recently told a writer for TheFiscalTimes.com that “more than half of first year students are simply underprepared for college work.” (www.thefiscaltimes.com .)
That number doesn’t surprise Pensacola State College student Padmanie Poorandeo. A 34-year-old returning student, Poorandeo said she routinely talks with younger students who thought college would be “a breeze. But, it’s not,” said Poorandeo. “It’s hard work.”
Professor Elaine Miller is PSC College Success Coordinator. Miller said, “So many of our freshmen students are simply overwhelmed” by their college schedule. Miller’s mission at Pensacola State College is to arm students with the tools they need to successfully complete their degree program. She teaches the College Success Course, which is now a General Education, Category 4 college credit course.
According to the PSC course catalog, “This course teaches the skills necessary for college and career success. Critical thinking, time and financial management, study and test-taking strategies and effective interpersonal communication are emphasized.”
The description of the course may sound complicated. But, Miller said there are five simple habits all students can develop to put them on the road to college success. Here is her list:
Go to class.
It sounds simple, but Miller says cutting class is one of the main reason students do poorly, and eventually drop out. 19-year-old PSC student Andrea Larker learned that lesson the hard way. She dropped out of Faulkner State Community College in Bay Minette, Ala. during her freshman year.
“I thought I could get by without going to class,” Larker said. “No way.”
According to research from fatcampus.com, “higher class attendance correlates with higher grades, earlier completion of degrees and simply staying at the university instead of dropping or flunking out. And since they’re there, successful students take notes and participate.”
Get to know your instructor.
It’s important for students to introduce themselves to instructors and establish a classroom relationship with them, Miller said.” Students who do this are more likely to ask for help if they need it, and less likely to let troublesome situations grow until they are unmanageable.”
Complete your homework and turn it in on time.
Again, it sounds simple, but Miller says this is another area where students can procrastinate, and in doing so, fall so far behind that they believe they cannot catch up. Larker agrees.
“This year, I’m completely changing my study habits,” said Larker. “If I have homework, I do it right then and there or at least that night. No more procrastinating.”
Study.
Robert Neuman, author of “Are You Really Ready for College, “ writes in his book that many college students study fewer than eight hours a week, which is comparable to middle school students. According to Miller, “students should budget two hours of study time for every one hour of class time.” She adds it’s critical to schedule study times for specific, regular times and days, which can help “train” your mind and body to kick into study mode and make the most effective use of that time.
Get out of your ‘bubble.’
Miller says too many students are focused on what happens in the classroom. She says it surprises her how many students she regularly encounters who “don’t go to the library, who don’t know the resources that are offered there, or don’t even know where the library is located.” Pensacola State College offers a variety of free resources to students, including the Math and Writing labs, and in the library, computer access and study rooms.
Larker added her own suggestion to this list. She said it’s important to remember “You are who you hang out with. My first year I hung out with kids who didn’t care about getting good grades. That’s something else I’m changing.” Miller adds, “Study groups with students with similar habits and goals makes a huge difference.”
Why all the fuss over graduation rates? In today’s tight economy and competitive job market, a college degree may make or break one’s success in the job field. The National Center for Educational Studies reports that “Americans with a four-year college degree can earn far more than those with just a high school diploma, $60,954 on average in 2008, compared with $33,618.” (nces.ed.gov)
So, the next time you are sitting in class, take a look around you and remember the difference a degree can make.
