College Dropout Rates

The retention and dropout rates among American college students has increased throughout years. According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, less than half (46%) of Americans that have begun to obtain a postsecondary degree do not meet their goal (2016). The increased college dropout rate is parallel to the prolonged amount of years to obtain a four-year degree. Another study showed that around 60% of undergraduate students are gaining their bachelor’s degree in six years, instead of the traditional four years (Symonds, 2011). The reasons for these increased rates vary. Many students drop out due to the level of difficulty of balancing family, work and school commitments (Lewin, 2009).
The responsibility of being an employee is now becoming a significant component in the life of modern college students. Around 14
The legalization of marijuana in four states, along with the decriminalization in seventeen states and the legalization of medical marijuana in twenty-five states, has inevitably illustrated a widely developing shared acceptance of marijuana use. This American perception has drastically changed since the first decriminalization in Oregon, in 1973 (Bloom, 2016) Marijuana use is seen prevalent amongst many college students, being the second most commonly used drugs on college campuses- (alcohol being the number one drug). A University of Michigan study in 2014, has shown that 1 out every 17 college student is a daily or an almost daily smoker; meaning these students are smoking on 20 or more occasions in a period of 30 days. The data also show the use of marijuana only once or twice in the last 30 days has risen 4% between 2006 and 2014, as well as students use in the last 12 months (Diehl, 2015). With these staggering rates, it is wonder-are parents sending their children to college to get a higher education or just to get