The Transition
Why Incoming College Students Struggle Academically.
It’s the 21st century and more people are expected to complete a college education post high school than ever before. As such, high school graduation rates have increased and the number of people attending college has hit an all-time high: In the fall of 2015, approximatley 20.2 million students attended college. According to the National Center for Education statistics, this was an increase of about 4.9 million since the fall of 2000. While news correlates to an overall higher education level of society in general, it also means more students are making the transition between high school and college. However, just because these students are entering college does not mean they will also be finishing it. According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, 31 million students who have enrolled in college in the past 20 years, ended up leaving without completing their degree.
For most people, recieving your high school diploma paves the exciting path to one’s college experience. While college life holds many exciting changes (like living on one’s own, football games and begining the whole “adulting” thing) for some, college poses challenges that many first-year students tend to overlook prior to their matriculation into university. Although some may struggle with the overall lifestyle change, such has having to learn to cook their own food or do their own laundry, many students struggle greatly in the academic portion of this transition.
While people who are already far into their education are aware of the acadmeic changes that come with college, first-year students are still in the dark about the challenges they may face. Although a senior in college now, my own personal transition from high school into college was not as easy as pouring a bowl of cereal. I found that while I excelled greatly in my courses in high school, college was not set up in the same manner and nobody was going to “hold your hand” if you were struggling. In addition, college courses were much more rigorous, requiring more academic knowledge and a mature attitude about one’s own education.
So why exactly is the academic part so hard to manage? On one hand, studies find that students are simply not prepared academically for higher level courses. According to the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, nearly 60% of first-year college students find that they must take remedial classes in order to “catch-up”. It’s a ridiculous circumstance that students are entering into higher education and some have not been taught the proper tools they need for their college-level classes. For example, a big issue first- year students face is the inability to approaching exams that require conceptual thinking. High school was set-up in a manner that memorizing facts and regurgitating them earned you an easy A. However, it is crucial to understanding and being able to apply concepts in college course. Overall students who can’t learn do this face learning challenges along the way, forcing them to take the remdial classes to help them better understand this approach. This is a huge obstacle for many students, as having to take more classes (to simply catch-up) costs more money and puts a student behind their graduation date.
On top of educational proficiency, the maturity levels of students can easily effect academic performace in college. It is understandable that many first-years are not emotionally prepared for their higher education. According to one student on College Confidential, they are “not ready for adulthood”, which inevitably comes with the college-package deal. In comparison to high school, students find that college throws you into the adult world, even if you have yet to get an “adult” job. In college, you must manage your own time, balance responsibilities and learn to handle a larger course load with more work in addition to studying.
Overall, the transitional stage from high school to college can be one of the most stressfull times in a person’s life. It takes academic and emotional maturity to be able to handle the changes that come your first-year of college. The large number of students not completing their degrees should raise red flags to the educational system in America. As a result, we need to better prepare students for the rigorous work and emotional pitfalls that plague many college attendees. Further, students should prepare themselves for their transition into not just their first-year of higher education, but their progression into adulthood.
