Despite the fact that more and more young Spaniards are pursuing Vocational Training or Baccalaureate studies, the rate of premature school abandonment – ??among young people aged 18 to 24 – currently stands at 13.6%. A hopeful percentage, since it represents a reduction of ten points compared to a decade ago, when it was 23.6%, but its downward trend should continue. It has been proven that dropping out of school has consequences at an individual and social level that go beyond the academic sphere, affecting the quality of life, social mobility and future economic progress of young people.
If we focus on the university environment, more than 33.2% of students abandon their degree studies during the first year, although 12.4% undertake studies in another degree, that is, they change their career, resulting in definitive abandonment. of the university system is 20.8%, according to data from the Integrated University Information System.
In “Analysis of the dropout of undergraduate students in face-to-face universities in Spain”, María Fernández-Mellizo, professor of Applied Sociology at the Complutense University of Madrid, points out different factors that can explain university dropout, but considers academic performance as which is of crucial importance. “The student’s performance in the first year, measured as the percentage of credits passed out of the total number of students enrolled in the first year, has an intense impact on the probability of dropping out of undergraduate studies,” says Fernández-Mellizo, which means that The main risk of dropping out occurs at the beginning of studies when academic results are not good. “However, we must be cautious with this result in case the decision to drop out precedes performance, in the sense that a student who has already decided to drop out does not make an effort in the face of the exams,” adds the author of the report.
It also highlights that the dropout level in non-face-to-face universities is much higher than that of face-to-face universities; 53% in the former compared to 13% in the latter. And it is also observed that the higher the grade for admission to the degree, the probability of dropping out decreases.
Faced with this reality, Cristina Ortega, a counselor with more than thirty years of experience, considers it essential that high school students are informed about the study plans of the courses, the methodology used both in the classroom and in evaluations, and professional opportunities. . “Currently, either through open doors or through its website, universities offer a lot of information on each degree and the student can get an idea of ??what it means to pursue specific studies. I also recommend talking to students or former students, who can provide a more realistic point of view,” adds the expert.
