What do the dropouts do next?

The figures, from the National Audit Office, lead us to wonder why so many people quit university and what they go on to do in the real world.

Despite this high projection, the UK compares well to the rest of the world in this issue, sitting fifth in the rankings. The only countries with lower drop-out rates are Japan, Ireland, Greece and Korea.

Within the UK there are obviously varying rates amongst institutions of higher education. This depends on factors such as the requirements for entry and also the type of course, which determine the variety and diversity within the student population.

Universities such as Thames Valley University and Kingston University had projected rates of 22.8% and 19.2% respectively for the year 2004-2005. Compare this with Oxford, which retains 98.6% of students from first year to second year.

At the bottom of the pile are UHI Millennium Institute, with a ridiculous 35.3%. What’s the point in making friends if you do go there?

The introduction of top up fees is bound to influence these rates, but it’s too early to record any changes. With the government aiming for 50% of school leavers attending university surely the rate will only rise. Although this may serve to further diversify the student population, it may encourage people to remain in education who don’t really want to be there, realising a year down the line that higher education is not for them.

But where does York come in all of this? Well, with the average drop-out rate for the UK at 14.2% we’re well below that on 4.8%. In fact, according to the figures released we have the thirteenth best rate in the country, joint with Bath. And in case you wondered, local rivals York St John University have a rate of 13.1%, but hand it to them, they’re below the average.

Despite the statistics, the fundamental question we are left with is: why do people drop-out? There must be a multitude of reasons from the 28,000 full-time undergraduates in 2004-2005 that didn’t make it to their second year. I spoke to one of York’s drop-outs about why he didn’t return after the summer.

Rob McGuinness, a former first year physics student explained: “I didn’t return back to York because I simply failed an exam, it was only one out of six but I didn’t really revise enough for it and knew it was important.

“I currently regret it, but I don’t know what I’m going into next so it could be better for me.”

I currently regret it, but I don’t know what I’m going into next so it could be better for me.
Rob McGuinness

McGuinness admitted that he had his doubts when he applied: “When I applied to uni there was that doubt it not being the right thing to do, as the subjects were quite hard and I’m not the sort of person who likes putting loads of time into it.”

A lot of non-returnees would probably look at it as a year wasted, but Rob was rather more upbeat about what he got from York in his solitary year. “It was first time living away [from home], also meeting people who live all over England; the social side was much fun. I also learnt you have to work a bit harder as well!”

McGuinness is seemingly philosophical about what his future holds, “I think leaving uni was just like when I left college and it won’t affect me too much unless I want it to. Whatever I choose to do I’m going to make the most of it. Currently I’m doing jobs for my dad while I’m applying for other jobs.”

Whatever I choose to do I’m going to make the most of it.
Rob McGuinness

Many people may take the view that those who drop-out of university as being wasteful, foolish, or failures, but sometimes university doesn’t suit people and not everyone realises that until they’ve tried it. After all, if the government meets its aim of putting 50% of people through, degrees may soon lose their value. If that’s the case, then maybe it’s the rest of us wasting our time.

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