The recent epidemic of college dropouts that is plaguing universities and colleges is trending upwards. What is causing this trend and how can we help those in need?
By Griffin Rowe-Cohen ’25
Staff Writer
The pandemic has caused many of us to live our lives virtually—especially students. While remote learning allowed high-school students more time with their families to pursue interests and adopt hobbies, some have found they’ve had enough learning, virtual or otherwise. That word, virtual-learning, could be a key cause in what may be regarded as an extreme upward trend in college dropouts, and students who choose to take a gap year during their transition to collegiate learning. In 2021, undergraduate college dropout rates have reached an all-time peak of 40 percent, 33 percent of these students returning after one term, and only 11 percent of these students seeking out education elsewhere, according to Melanie Hanson, an educator, research analyst and the senior editor for Education Data.
Historically, dropping out of college is a decision that comes attached with a stigma of failure, incompetence, and lack of stick-to-itiveness. Although in many cases this can be untrue, this stigma is attached to dropouts regardless. Statistics have shown that college students drop out for vastly different reasons, including those that can be attributed to work difficulties, or affordability issues.
In 2021, one in three students will have dropped out of college due to conflicts between their school work, and their other commitments. In the same respect, monetary conflicts are also prevalent, as the average cost of college tuition has increased by 1,375 percent since 1978, according to Melanie Hanson, who writes about the issue in EducationData.org. Although these statistics may indicate that time management and financial difficulty are the leading causes of modern college dropouts, it may be other, more physiological factors that are contributing to the current spike in dropouts and gap-years.
Dr. Therese Sulentich, a local psychologist in Lake Forest, Illinois, believes “people are suffering from loneliness now more so than ever.” Loneliness is a psychological condition that many believe is making the transition to college, which may already be challenging, that much more difficult. Sulentich attributes much of this difficulty to the pandemic. “Screen time has a definite negative effect, and young people are more negatively affected,” she said.
It is no surprise to anyone that their screen time has increased over the course of the pandemic, with students being forced to learn from screens for extended periods of time each day. In addition to increased screen time, students were forced to learn alone, denying themselves of the social interactions and environments that a regular school setting provides. Statistics show a 50 to 75 percent increase in daily dedicated screen time as a result of the pandemic; a daunting figure to say the least. Dr. John Cacioppo, author of Loneliness: Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection, proposed that humans who live in isolation and loneliness tend to fall victim to “misery” far more easily.
Some might be wondering how college students are being affected by their transition to new, less-virtual surroundings. The proposed answer may be simple. New college students may be both ill-prepared and uninformed about the independence they must face during their first year at college. The impact on students having to learn remotely affecting mental health may continue for years to come. Edward Neumann, assistant director of Counseling Services at Lake Forest College, notes it is inevitable that the transition from high school to university will be monumental and oftentimes the largest transition that college students will endure.
“The past decade has shown immense increases in anxiety of the general population, and the last two years haven’t helped. There are so many stress factors on a college campus,” he said.
However, this transition is usually not present without support mechanisms, often provided during students’ senior year of high school. This transition was both extended and delayed as a result of the pandemic, making it that much more challenging for new students as they arrived at university following a year and change of schooling at home.
In addition to the loneliness countless students were forced to endure throughout the pandemic and re-encounter as they arrived at college, they must face the negative stigma that is attached to dropouts, and the so-called “consequences” that come as a result of skipping out on a college education.
Sulentich once again notes that “the first step in seeking help is uncomfortable because there’s a stigma of what’s wrong. We used to have an honor culture, and now we have a victim culture.” This purported stigma is forcing students to believe that if they were to drop out, they would be making a decision that will have negative effects on the course of their life.
Jordan Ahlersmeyer, interim head of Residential Life at Lake Forest College, believes that the spike can be attributed to this stigma.
“The stigma about dropping out has been reduced in the last few years,” he said, noting that “ in the past, dropouts were rare. The implication is that there is more autonomy for people to question whether college is for them or not.”
This assumption would be a positive one, as students acting upon their own accord without regard toward the negative stigma, means students are making decisions based on how they truly feel. In turn, this is implying that the spike in dropout rates is not necessarily a bad thing.
Ahlersmeyer believes that institutions still do not provide enough support to students who are struggling in the same regard. He blames secondary education, noting, “The institution they came from before does not provide enough socio-emotional learning.”
To many, the transition between college is about finding one’s identity, to which Ahlersmeyer says: “Identity issues are hard to work through, especially when there is a lack of support from others. Life skills must be essential to be taught, and Adulting 101 needs to be provided, if needed, in college.”
A possible solution is a mandatory focus on having conversations about personal mental health. Instead of attaching a stigma, a conversation may create a safe and mandatory moment to have the support of an adult network. Instead of students being forced to retreat into themselves, the possibility to expand outwards is opened.
Regardless of whether this recent spike is caused by physiology, finances, or lack of support at institutions, we can all do more to help. Beyond yourself, support for others following a time of loneliness and isolation is of the utmost importance.
