Why do students leave University early? Hazel Christie University of Edinburgh

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Why do students leave University early? Hazel
ChristieUniversity of Edinburgh
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Aims and methodology

• reasons for leaving
• differences between those who leave and those who
  continue
• institutional differences
• postal survey
• 50 continuing/38 non-continuing students

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Reasons for leaving University

• Poor course choice, low motivation, poor fit
  between student and institution
• majority left by end of first year
• most wanted to continue in HE but at another
  institution

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The wrong University?

• Adapting to social world
• settling into working pattern
• location of the University

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Overturning common-place assumptions about
withdrawal

• non-traditional students
• financial difficulties
• part-time work
• limited ability

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Implications for Universities

• cannot be complacent
• targeted support services
• flexibility of course choice early on
• welcoming diversity

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Further information

• H. Christie, M. Munro and T. Fisher (2004)
  Leaving university early? Exploring the
  differences between continuing and non-continuing
  students Studies in Higher Education 29(5)
  617-636
• hazel.christie_at_ed.ac.uk