Over the coming weeks, college students will begin to report to campus. Freshmen will enter a whole new phase of life and upper classmen will be anxious to return to friends and a lifestyle different from living at home. Therein lays the message for today. Consider it a Word to the Wise. Wise because you have gained enough knowledge and experiences to get you there, but are you wise enough to maintain?
Freshmen attrition rates have been written about in publications for almost 40 years with rates of 13-33% at institutions across the country. So, in addition to national norms of 6 years for a 4 year degree, the rate at which freshman drop out is alarming. I can bring it even closer to home and say that in my years as a principal, I have known or known principals in which six of their valedictorians or salutatorians have not only dropped out after freshman year, but lost significant scholarships. Why this disappointing ending?
For some, economic issues are the culprit, but for many more the issue is time management. Living at home you have boundaries set by parents and a system of checks and balance. You also have a daily class schedule that has established timeframes and expectations for every minute of your 7 hour school day. But college doesn’t run that way. No one tells you to get up in the morning, no one tells you to go to class, and no one tells you to do your homework. It’s all on you. Wow! That’s a shift!
It seems so natural, but it’s not! Yes, turning 18 and becoming more independent we are expected to become more “adult” and with that we are expected to make good decisions and demonstrate adult behaviors. But when you are surrounded by so many new choices, new friends, and new opportunities, the lure to manage time wisely is challenged and therein lies the making of a freshman catastrophe and ultimately a statistic for freshmen attrition.
Wisdom is not just the academic, it is also experience. Students who have been successful demonstrate an ability to manage their time wisely. So for those of you going off to college, take a few minutes as the semester begins and evaluate your schedule, evaluate available time, and establish a routine for study habit development. Protect that time, manage your time wisely and your success!