Everyyearmorethan380,000studentsfailoutofcollegeintheUnitedStates.Theimpactofcollegefailurecancauselastingdamagetoself-esteem,andtheconsequencescaninfluenceanentirelifetime.Instudyingthecomplexitiesofthefailureproblem,Dr.RobertPitcheroftheEducationalDevelopmentCenterhascomeupwithwhathebelievesare10primarycausesoffailureincollege.Beingawareofthesecausesofcollegefailureisanecessaryfirststepinseekingworkablesolutions. 　　1.Understandingtheamountofworkrequired 　　Thedifferenceintheamountandqualityofworkdemandedbyareasonablygoodcollegeandthatrequiredbythetypicalhighschoolismuchgreaterthanmoststudentsrealize.Priortocollege,schoolworkisusuallyparceledoutinsmallunitsandstudentsusuallyspendaminimumamountoftimestudying.Incollege,studentsmayactuallyworkharderthantheyhaveeverworkedbeforeandstillfindthattheireffortsarenotsufficient. 　　2.Otheractivities 　　Collegemaybeconsideredimportanttoparents,toteachers,toemployers,topeoplesearchingforajob,ortostudentswhohavedefinedcareergoals.Butsomecollegestudentsgetintoacademicdifficultybecausecollegeisnotreallyveryimportanttothem.Theymayhaveheardaboutthenecessityofhighereducation.Theyhaveprobablyevenagreed.Butiftheydonotreallyunderstandtheimportanceofstudyingincollegeandiftheyletotheractivitiesgetintheway,chancesaretheywillnotdoverywellincollege.Watchwhatcollegestudentsdoandhowtheyspendtheirtime.Actionsrevealtruevaluesandreflectwherestudentsreallyputeducationintheirpersonalschemeofthings.Whilesocialactivitiesareimportant,maturestudentswillputacademicsbeforeotheractivities. 　　3.Vaguenessaboutlong-rangegoals 　　Mostmatureadultsrealizethatsuccessincollegedemandsagreatdealofhardwork.However,thedesireforpleasureandfunisalsoaverystrongneedamongadolescents.Oneofthesignsofmaturityistheabilitytodelayimmediatepleasureandlookatlong-rangegoals.Thesegoalsdonothavetobespecificallydefined,buttheymustbeone鈥檚own.Astudentmusthaveasenseofworkingtowardagoalorrewardthatheorshereallywants,whetheritisthepleasureofagoodgrade,astillundefinedcareer,orstatusandsecurity.Collegeworkislikelytoseemgrim,difficultandevenmeaninglessifitisnotrelatedtopersonalgoalsandobjectives. 　　4.Inappropriatechoiceofamajor 　　Therearefewhumanswithaveryclearideaofthemselvesattheageof18or19;consequently,manystudentsinitiallymaychooseinappropriatefieldsofstudy.Oneofthepurposesofcollegeistohelpstudentsdiscoverorcreatetheiridentitiesthrougheducation.Thisprocessofchangereflectsnotalackofcharacter,butthedevelopmentofit.Studentsmustbeawareoftheirowndevelopmentandadjustpreviousgoalsanddecisionstoaccommodatepersonalgrowth. 　　5.Poorlanguageskills 　　Toalargeextent,thesuccessorfailureofastudentincollegedirectlyhingesonmasteryofthelanguage.Astudentmustbeabletoread,towrite,tospeak,andtolisteneffectively.Beingineffectiveinevenoneoftheselanguageabilitiescanleadtoacademicdifficulty.Theselanguageproblemsarenotnecessarilyrelatedtointelligence,andskillinonelanguageareadoesnotmeanequalskillintheothers.Allcollegestudents