Roadblocks to College Success (And How to Overcome Them)

If you’re considering starting a new career, a technical college is probably the best way to get there. You may be worried about your chances of success. Around 40% of college students end up dropping out, most of them in their first year of school. Stats like this are mostly looking at 4-year institutions, however, and technical colleges like York Technical College make college success much more attainable!

Depending on your program, you could finish your training in just a few months, so the chances of running into obstacles on your path to college success are much more slim than in a 4-year program. That doesn’t mean it won’t be tough. It’s best to be prepared before starting your career training, so today we will look at a few roadblocks to college success and how to overcome them.

Time Management

Probably the most difficult adjustment when starting an educational program to earn a certificate, diploma, or degree is time management. Time management is, of course, the skill of managing your time wisely. Compared to high school, where you are given study periods, college makes you much more responsible for how you spend your time. You may also be working full-time while attending technical college, which makes finding time for your studies even more challenging.

College may not be as strictly regimented as high school, but that just means you have more freedom. You are in charge of your life, so you can manage your time however works best for you. Using a physical or online planner is a great way to manage your time. You can block out time for classes, work, and any other commitments to get a visual representation of when your free time is and when you can work on class material. If you need help putting a game plan together for effective time management, your academic advisor would be happy to help!

Academics

Whether you are getting a certification, a diploma, or a degree, you will have to take classes. The classes you take depend on your program, but there’s a chance you could run into difficulties. This is a major reason students give up on their education. However, everyone has a different level of academic aptitude and their own unique learning style. Struggling with college classes doesn’t mean you’re not cut out for the career you’ve chosen. You may just need a little extra help to make it through training.

Technical colleges such as York Technical College provide resources to students who need help with their classes. York Tech’s Academic Coaching and Tutoring Center is available to students who want to become independent, self-sufficient, and efficient learners. The services they offer will help you learn and apply skills that will help you in your classes so you can overcome roadblocks to college success.

Mental Health

Personal or academic issues can affect your mental health. It’s not unusual for the stress of college to impact students in a negative way. Anxiety is the number one reason most college students seek help. Technical colleges offer counseling and support to help you work through these issues and help you achieve the college success you’re there for. York Tech’s Counseling and Support Services offer short-term counseling support in a confidential and professional environment. The counselors here can help you achieve success by working through whatever you’re going through, whether personal or academic.

Finances

While technical colleges are a great value, money can still be something that gets in the way of your college success. It’s only natural to stress over your finances. Luckily, York Tech is transparent about how much your career training will cost and provides resources that can make your education even more affordable. The Financial Aid Office is committed to helping students find financial assistance needed to reach their dream career. For more information on financial aid, read our blog post about it.


 

Roadblocks to college success don’t necessarily have to be roadblocks. If you look at them like that, they can be things that stop you or make you take a more difficult route. However, if you see these challenges as obstacles that can be climbed and overcome, they become much less daunting. If you are ready to brave these obstacles and start a rewarding career today, contact us by clicking the button below. We’ll walk you through the whole process and provide support so you can get your new life started right!