Quite well written I think..

I'm from Macleans and there's this section on ex-Macleans student dropout rates are exceptionally high.

I don't really recall us being spoon fed by the high school teachers, but apparently this is the case. I'm unable to compare to other schools cos this is the only high school I've attended.

Also it's so hard to imagine why people would drop out of uni, they've paid huge amount of money to attend this place, and just to drop out after a few weeks/months? Maybe it is a trend to go to uni, so what... better to stay through the courses than to waste $4k+!

I love uni, I hated highschool. :shrugs:

In some regards I agree that attending university has become a bit of a trend. It is also the expected thing to do. Many people attend because they want to get a high paying job, have been pressured into doing so or the biggest one, proving people wrong.

I believe that uni is not for everybody and those who do attend to uni should stick to it until they end. This is because of the reasons pointed out in the article and in this thread.

I particularly loved the part about "history and english - its a habit". I don't know anyone who has started university for those reasons but it got me thinking.

NZ doe shave a high drop out rate. There is a huge amount of pressure at university to be successful and attain good grades, it can be detrimental to even the sanest person. Could this pressure be a factor in dropping out?

I think its the opposite - at uni there is no pressure to do anything. No one cares if you get good marks, no one cares if you show up. At high school you were not spoon fed, but someone chased you up if you didn't do the work, and someone made you go to class. Thats the difference between the two, and i think thats where people have problems - i certainly had problems in my first year, and its only now that i have taken a break from uni and come back that i am able to appreciate the way it goes at uni, and how much working sucks arse. Thats what makes people fail - there is no pressure at all.

The pressure comes from the increased important of having a qualification beyond high school level. The pressure comes from parents, friends and employers.

Fair enough, but how many of the drop outs are people living at home and talking with prospective employers? The pressure may be there, but if you only talk to your parents every couple weeks and you are getting your money from the govt. I know some people who are flatting, living off student loans and are very much in their own little world with regards to actually getting any qualifications. I dunno, it's be interesting to see how many of them do have parental pressur and things like that.

Good article. They missed out the students who drop out cuz they get pregnant or have to work to help support their families/kids.

The pressure to succeed at university also comes financially. There is the pressure of having a loan, that can cause people to drop out (if they get to university in the first place). If one is supported by their parents, they have the pressure to pass every paper so as to not disappoint.

Then there is the pressure that nobody mentioned in this thread, it was mentioned in the article. That was the pressure that one puts themselves under.