In January 2016, the leading Irish newspaper The Irish Times stated in an editorial that one in Six students drop out of college programs during their first year in University’s in Ireland..

High drop out rates are overall concerning to society itself. As the Irish Times discussed students lose out on time, expense and self-confidence as well as an overall lack of motivation. The economy needs an educated workforce and colleges need to keep reputations.

With such a vast numbers of students exiting courses what are the causes of such high drop out rates and how can this be solved? The issue can branch into many contrasting potential reasons, however all fall into one common focal point of; how can we make them stay?

The University College of Dublin (UCD) completed a qualitative study on why students exit from programs in first year. Most students struggled in making the transition from second to third level education. Just One fifth of students said that UCD had provided them with a supportive environment when they started their degree programs. Three quarters of students said living at home and making long commutes made them unmotivated to attend lectures. These particular students felt that there were little to few activities on campus during the day for students to take part in whilst waiting between lectures.