A recent Western University study has found that many students who drop out of post-secondary institutions are simply unprepared for university or college when they originally enrol, according to Western News.
The study, which looked specifically at Berea College near Lexington, Kentucky, was conducted by Western economics professor Todd Stinebrickner and his father Ralph, a professor emeritus at Berea.
The Berea panel study concluded that an estimated 40 per cent of post-secondary dropouts can be attributed to what students learn about their grades and performance after entering college or university, according to Western News.
“Many students learn over the course of their studies that college is not a good match for them academically, and they choose to drop out,” Stinebrickner told Western News.
Berea College was chosen as the location for the study in order to rule out the cost of post-secondary education as a factor in one’s decision to drop out. Berea College is the least expensive private college in the United States when taking into account tuition costs and fees, according to the U.S. department of education.
“Direct cost was not a factor, but still we saw half the students not finishing,” Stinebrickner told Western News. “So the question then is ‘why not?'”
Despite the study’s conclusions, Stinebrickner said that changes to university and college policy in order to help unprepared students isn’t necessarily the right answer. Rather, he suggested adding a more serious high school curriculum instead.
Dean Flynn, a former Carleton University student who dropped out after last year, said he agreed with the panel’s findings.
“To be honest, [university] just wasn’t right for me at the time,” Flynn said.
Flynn, who eventually plans to return to Carleton for business, said he originally left school due to time and money management concerns as well. He says he believes many post-secondary students today face the same issues.
“It’s really all about your maturity and what you’re willing to do” Flynn said.
