by Robyn Keyster

Created on: October 12, 2009   Last Updated: October 14, 2009

With the current economy likely to contribute to rising college dropout rates, many undergraduates will probably find it tempting to consider quitting school altogether. After all, a bachelor's degree is no longer a guarantee of any job, let alone a high-paying, secure position in one's chosen field. In addition, tuition rates continue to rise, despite the decreasing worth of many undergraduate educations. Combined with the fact that many students parents are amongst the newly-unemployed, these factors have undoubtedly led many students to believe college just isn't worth it anymore.

Unfortunately for those who do decide to drop out of college, re-enrolling at a later date is difficult, time-consuming, and costly. There are fees to be paid, transcripts to be gathered and evaluated, and often new responsibilities (families, jobs, etc.) with which to contend. For these reasons alone, most students should be strongly encouraged to "stick it out" any way they can. However, for a small minority of students, dropping out can be an effective last resort, a sort of educational bankruptcy that is painful and rarely necessary, but sometimes beneficial over time.

Before delving into which types of students are most likely to actually benefit from taking time off, it's important to describe those who should not withdraw. First, those who simply don't like their college, their major, or their roommate should definitely stay in school. These are very common problems, ones which college students have been successfully solving for as long as college itself has existed. Students can switch schools or research a more palatable field of study, for starters. Most colleges have a vast array of resources for dealing with these problems, from student support services to career counseling. Since students are paying for these programs, they can take advantage in a way that also lessens any perceived need to drop out.

Students facing common financial problems should also refrain from dropping out. If there is a large and/or increasing difference between the money one has and the money one needs to stay in school, there are many solutions available. Students can transfer to a less-expensive university, they can take their core classes at a cheaper community college, or they can scale back to part-time classes while working full-time. Additional cost-cutting measures include living off-campus, buying books online from discount websites, and commuting from home. The college experience

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