Analysis: A Sense Of Belonging-Improving Student Retention

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My parents have always instilled in me that graduating from a four- year collegiate university with a degree is the key to acquiring a well-paying job. They both received bachelor degrees from college and now have jobs that pay well. This is just one testament to the reward from sticking with college all four years. College degrees open the job pool dramatically and put one at a higher chance of getting a job over someone who does not have a degree. However college students- more than ever- are dropping out without finishing. Students are now opting to find employment without a degree. There are multiple factors that can influence a student to withdraw from a collegiate institution: money, family, or they simply did not like college. Although these articles are similar in that they all identify the effects of dropping out, they are different in their bias towards college dropouts. I believe that one does not always have to obtain a college degree to gain success in life.
With all the benefits that
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In “A Sense of Belonging- Improving Student Retention” by Patrick O’Keeffe, he addresses how students who may have “feelings that they don't belong, feel rejected, and may not adjust to normal academic challenges associated with college” (O’Keeffe 606) are related to student attrition. There are also other calculated factors to why the attrition rates at collegiate universities are on the rise. Heisserer and Parette contributed to this piece by mentioning the groups that cause students to drop out are: ethnic minorities, academically disadvantaged, students with disabilities, students with low economic status, and probationary students (O’Keeffe 606). These components can attribute to attrition rates within universities, however, if one persists they can complete college no matter the obstacles. With college dropout rates rising, it is important to asses the benefits of some college