Most of them take some investment or risk, and they might mean you have to do without some of the things you want in the short-term. Having a college degree means better earnings over your lifetime so, if you can, make the sacrifices for a few years in order to finish. It will pay off. A bachelor's degree holder earns a median of $2.8 million — 75% more than if they had only a high school diploma.
Do well in high school. You improve your chances of graduating college if you have strong academic performance in high school. Part of making it to completion is pure grit, so develop that skill and the study habits while you’re in high school. That doesn’t mean you’re doomed if your high school GPA isn’t top-notch, but know you’re going to have to adjust your habits for college if you’re going to make it.
Take more math. Stay the course in high school math and take math classes beyond Algerbra 2. You’ll have better skills for all of the mathematical thinking of life (which is more than you think!) and the data suggest that you are twice as likely to graduate with a Bachelor’s degree when you do.
Go after a private scholarship. If you can master the first two–do well in highschool and take higher-level math courses–you’re in a better situation to apply for private scholarships. Winning a private scholarship makes it easier to focus on school and avoid accumulating student loan debt. Scholarship recipients are more like to enroll full-time in college and, spoiler: full-time enrollment also translate to higher completion rates.
Don’t take a gap year or leave of absence. While this might seem like a good idea–a year to figure things out or earn money for school–you’ll be 50% less likely to graduate college. If you’re unsure about what you want to do your first year, work on general education requirements and explore your options by taking courses in different majors so that you can keep momentum, maintain academic progress, and find a major that suits you.
Enroll full-time. Keep your eye on the prize and make academic work your full-time job for the four years you’re in college. You’ll be five times more likely to graduate with a degree when you’re enrolled full-time. If your circumstances make that impossible, do everything you can to create the mental headspace to make your academic work your priority so that you can stay on track and do well despite part-time enrollment and the distractions that can come with that arrangement.
Live on campus. If you can, live on campus to increase your chances of graduating with your degree. You’ll be two-thirds more likely to finish than if you live off-campus or with your parents (sorry, folks!). Being on campus immerses you in the learning environment, makes it easier to get to class on time, and means you can hit the library for study sessions with peers.
Cut your work hours. Working more than 12 hours a week during the school year significantly affects the likelihood of graduating. A full-time job takes too much time from your week making it nearly impossible to balance your academic work (and sleep!), meaning you’re more likely to miss class, skip homework, do poorly on exams. All of which make it more likely that you’ll quit before you earn your degree.Find ways to extreme budget and keep your hours down so you can get your degree and earn more after.
Do students who live at home or work-full time or take a gap year finish college with a degree? Yes! Of course! You can, too. While we can all advocate for policy changes that would help everyone succeed at college, until that happens, it is up to you. Use what you know about how different choices and opportunities can impact your academic progress and get prepared mentally to overcome the hurdles that might get thrown in your way so you can toss your mortarboard in celebration, degree in-hand.
