For Nathalia Padua, a freshman in nursing, dropping out of college after her first year was never an option.
“If I wasn’t in college right now,” she said, “I don’t know, I’d probably just be working a dead-end job.”
Padua, like many students, was encouraged by her parents to continue pursuing education after high school. Her family considers college to be the next step in a young person’s life.
Her roommate, Laura Fishburn, a freshman in French, said her future goals are what keep her motivated to stay in school, despite the difficulties she may face.
“It provides me with opportunities for more education and networking,” she said.
Though students like Padua and Fishburn may start their university journey with optimism, up to 33 percent of college freshmen drop out before their sophomore year, according to U.S. News and World Report. This means for one in three students, there may be student loan debt, but no corresponding college degree.
According to American Dream 2.0, a report funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, 46 percent of those who enter a United States college fail to graduate within six years. The National Student Clearinghouse also reports that just 55 percent of first time undergraduates who enrolled in the fall of 2008 finished a degree by 2014.
Rising college tuition costs could be the cause of the relatively high dropout rate. The National Center for Education Statistics reports that from 2011 to 2012, the average cost of attending a four-year college was $16,789. Compare that with the cost of attending college ten years prior at $9,196.
The U is one of the few universities in the nation that has an increasing retention rate — meaning more students return for a second year of college here than at other colleges. According to the Office of Budget and Institutional Analysis, the U’s retention rate has increased successfully for the past five years. In 2009, 84.7 percent of students returned. That rate increased to 88.4 percent by the end of 2013. Those numbers are below the top three universities in the nation — Columbia University, the University of Chicago and Yale University — each of which had a retention rate of 99 percent at the end of 2013. But the U was ahead of Oregon and ASU in 2013, according to U.S. News & World Report.
The U’s Center for New Student & Family Programs, formerly the Office of Orientation and Leadership Development, has programs aimed at increasing freshmen retention rates. The Office Student Affairs at the U also has some recommendations for first-year students to help them stay in school until graduation. Those suggestions include attending class, getting involved with student clubs and organizations, getting to know your professors and taking care of your health by getting enough sleep and exercise.
Padua has taken these to heart in her commitment to graduate.
“[It] is important because it gives you more opportunities in the future,” she said.
[email protected]
@spenceast
 
Helpful Tips To Stay in School:

-Attend new student orientations and learn your way around campus.
-Get organized.
-Avoid the temptation to skip class.
-Meet with and get to know your academic advisors.
-Don’t feel pressured to select a major or a career right away.
-Don’t cheat and don’t procrastinate. Prepare for exams by taking good notes and studying early.
More tips can be found at: www.quintcareers.com/first-year_success.html.