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Everyone has heard the term “college dropouts.” Everyone knows a friend or two that are full-time party goers who could not keep up with the coursework or responsibilities that attending a university requires. But one never hears about the people that make a career out of being a college student.
The life of most college students is fairly comfortable, especially those with scholarships, financial aid and the Pell grant. With prepaid meal plans and cushy dorm rooms, the average college student mainly has to worry about studying and doing homework. Of course, there are those who experience financial issues or struggle to juggle a job and school. But for the most part, college is relatively easy compared to the real world, and there are people who use college life to run away from real world responsibilities.
By constantly changing majors, withdrawing and retaking classes, fifth year, sixth year and even seventh year students exist. These people frequent college campuses everywhere – and never seem to graduate. Whatever their reasons may be, it seems as though some students have made a career out of being in college.
In 2007 and 2008, the University of West Georgia’s percentage of students whose ages exceed 22 was about 34 percent. This percentage included those that had decided to return to college after quitting and those that did not immediately enter college after high school.
Being a college student is unquestionably difficult, and sometimes it requires more than the supposed four years or eight semester to complete a degree. It is a stepping stone into the real world, but there is also added pressure to have a social life and to join organizations from many different types of influences. For some, those added pressures can make it more difficult to stay focus, and the lack of focus may result in failed classes, low grade point averages and missed opportunities.
Besides the students who lack focus, there are also students who are in college just because they like the experience. They put off graduation whenever they can, to work to another minor or to pick up another major – anything to stall for time, because college is the “life,” often consisting of fun times and little responsibility.
One young lady, who prefers to remain anonymous, said that she has been in college for six years. She is 25 and doesn’t plan to graduate anytime soon.
“College is fun and it’s easy, and I’m not ready to get a real job just yet,” she said. “I can stay in [school] as long as I keep a certain GPA. I will probably graduate in 2011, though.”
Exceeding four years in college isn’t a bad thing, and, in some cases, it is unavoidable because things may happen. But college can’t last forever. It may be fun, but it, too, will eventually come to an end.
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