Parents have great exceptions for their children. They except that their children will get admitted to good schools, that they will do well while they are there, graduate, land a good job and lead a successful career. But the story doesn’t always send like that.
Kayode was a good student who attended a well-recognized secondary school in Lagos. She desired to go university in America. Her parents were 100 percent supportive of her educational plans. She applied to several schools in Ameriica and enrolled at one of them.
It wasn’t a top school but it had a decent reputation the first year was rocky for Kayode who struggled to make friends and found the city school overwhelming. She became withdrawn and her grades began to spiral out of control. A formal notice from the school to Kayode’s parents informing them of her suspension for a year due to academic under- performance was a cruel wake-up call.
Unfortunately, by the time her parents realized how dire the situation was Kayode’s self-esteem had taken a major hit; she had gained more than 40 pounds and was no longer the confident, gregarious teenager who left home.
Each year thousands of parents find themselves in the same predicament as kayode’s parents with their children placed on academic probation and their confidence in shambles.
The National Centre for Education Statistics, the arm of the US Department of Education that conducts analyses and research, reports that 59 percent of students who students enrolled at a US institution graduate from that same institution. That means that 41 percent of students end up leaving their school.
The reasons for student attrition at US universities vary but often can be linked to three main reasons: cultural, academic and financial. Attending university is a major life event in anyone’s life. But the intricacies of adjusting to a foreign culture make it quite challenging for international students. During my early years in university, i served as a resident assistant and saw first-hand the struggles students faced when adjusting to a new environment. Homesickness, roomates issues, social pressure are just a few examples of the issues facing students at university. Schools have people in place whose job it is to facilities a successful student transition and it is important that parents introduce themselves early to their children’s academic advisors and resident assistants. Make sure to also collect their contact information, you never know when you might need it.
The US has strict confidentiality laws but establishing a connection with the advisors who will be involved in supporting your children’s very important to ensure that you are in the loop on what is happening while you are thousands of miles away.
While parents shouldn’t expect their children to divulge every aspect of their experience, maintain close ties with them through regular Skype chats and school visits will keep the communication channels open.
The academic aspect of university can be a major cause for students to exist the school without graduating. Parents need to help their children to fully understand the US academic system before they enroll. For example, American universities have a system of consistent assessment- including quizzes that are given from the first few weeks of classes to regular tests, class projects, final exams, and even grades for class participation- which is cumulative and require students to be engaged from the first day of class. Many students fall into the trap of believing that they can improve their grades later in the term without realizing that it may become impossible to recover from an initial weak performance.
The third reason that affects student attrition is financial in nature. When considering financial obligations, including cost of tuition over and living expenses, the school’s plans to increase tuition over the next few years, the terms of scholarships (whether it is for the entire four years of school and the minimum GPA required to keep the scholarship), etc. Financial pressures can often be a major strain on students who take on extra hours through the school’s Work Study Program. Balancing a 10-20 hour work schedule with a full academic load can be quite challenging for students who are not good at time management or those who are still struggling with adjusting to their new life in university.
As the famous adage goes, when we fail to plan, we plan to fail. No parent wants their child to be part of the 4% of students who end up not graduating from the school they started at. Equipping your children effectively so they can overcome any academic, financial and cultural children effectively so they can overcome any academic, financial and cultural challenges will position them for success. Give your children the best gift you can give them through careful planning and close guidance.
