Graduation
Last month, I wrote about the lack of connection in our society and specifically how it impacts our youth. After posting that blog, I received several replies thanking me for writing about the topic. It led me to dig deeper into mental health and teens. I found a completely surprising statistic that may be another indicator of this issue. I don’t believe that teen loneliness directly causes this issue, but it’s hard not to see the comorbidity.
I’m referring to college graduation rates in the US. Almost half of the students that go to four-year colleges do not graduate. In Texas, the six-year graduation rate for four-year colleges is 54% in 2021-2022 according to CollegeEvaluator.com. State by state averages vary from 50% - 68%. Two-year institutions range from a 20% - 30% graduation rate! These stats point to many factors in our school system and in our society, but the bottom line; Less than half of our college students graduate.
This statistic stuns me. I can’t help but acknowledge that mental and emotional wellbeing play a role. Some stress of going to college comes from a positive place. Striving for success, independence, growth, and fun can challenge students and motivate them to focus on their goals.
However, the expectations can get warped by comparisons with others, worry about letting others down, feelings of low self-worth, and intense fear of failure. This stress impacts a student’s ability to focus on school and handle the challenges. Combined with the feeling of having to do it alone, can lead to failing grades.
Parents of future college students, there are some things you can do to help them be mentally prepared.
1) Lose the fear of failure: Show your future college student that self-worth comes from within. Admit that we all fail and recover. Social media creates a culture of comparison and only shows the success stories. This leads to unfair stress on students to never make mistakes. It leads to a fear of failure.
2) A culture that fits your student’s needs (and style)
Schools have cultures. If you have the means to visit schools or talk to people that go to school there, look at more than just majors and class sizes. Fitting in matters.
3) Your student’s support system
You know your kids better than anyone else. Don’t just accept the norm for communication, resources, social activity, etc. Some college students are just fine leaving the nest and being independent. Others need more support. Talk about it with your student and remove the judgement and stigma around needing help.
4) Factors that impact success rates:
Do research like this Forbes article which identifies factors that impact success.
The bottom line is that you can’t rely on others to solve this. Give your students the foundation to tackle the struggles that arise and continue to grow.
