About the Author
Herbert E. Hawks was an American mathematician and teacher who was born in 1872 and passed away in 1943. He was Columbia College’s dean. He had the title of “Dean of American College Deans” throughout the duration of his lengthy tenure as dean at Columbia College. He was a long-serving dean, so he was familiar with students and their issues. He knew why males don’t succeed in college. In his capacity as dean, he saw the issues that college students encountered.
Main Idea of the essay
Author Herbert E. Hawks shares his firsthand experience of seeing boys fail in college in his article, Why Boys Fail in College. The essay’s central idea is that we should make an effort to comprehend the issues that kids face. Physicians, parents, and teachers may all be extremely helpful in helping them find solutions to their issues. Due to ignorance of their actions, many students ruin their lives. Consequently, it is our responsibility to help them with their academic problems.
Seven Reasons
There are seven reasons that contribute to college students’ failure. Nervous habits, incorrect aspirations, overconfidence, health issues, financial strain, sports and literary interests, and lazy bluffers. These are the behaviors of those who fall short in college. Ultimately, the author asserts that a college dean has to possess medical skills to effectively identify and resolve their students’ difficulties.
The two groups of college failure students are categorized by the author. There is a group of students that want to pass and make an effort to pass but end up failing the test. The second group of pupils is those that don’t study, don’t strive to pass, and end up failing the test. The author first discusses two types of failing pupils before going into the causes of their failure. Additionally, he offers advice on how to get beyond the causes of their failure. He separated the pupils into seven groups based on how poorly they performed on the college exams. These seven tendencies, according to the author, are the reason why students fail in college. The bad habits include anxiety, misguided goals, arrogance, health concerns, money troubles, involvement in sports, and careless mistakes.
We now go through each of these behaviors individually. As to the author’s assertion, some males who attend college have distinct anxiety patterns. Such children are unable to focus on the work at hand when seated at a desk. They want to pass, yet their anxious tendencies may force them to struggle academically and drop out of college. Their attention span is quite short. They seldom stay focused on one thing for very long. They begin thinking about other things when they sit down to study instead of focusing on their schoolwork. They begin arranging the books and sharpening pencils. According to the author, anybody can break these behaviors, but students are ultimately in charge of them. They have to have serene, tranquil demeanor.
We have covered the second explanation for college students’ failure. False aspirations are the second factor contributing to pupils’ failure. Sometimes a boy’s failure might be attributed to his parents. They assign their kids to study topics that the other students find boring. Parents meddle in the topics’ selection. Parents want their son to pursue a career in medicine or engineering, but their son is more interested in acting or music. As a consequence, students are unable to focus on their studies and end up failing college courses. It is important to value students’ choices rather than pressuring them to choose courses they dislike.
Overconfidence is the third factor contributing to college failure for students. Some boys, according to the author, assume they can pass college examinations with little work since they pass school exams with little effort. They put forth little effort and struggle academically in college. Do they have no idea what a legitimate application is? They believe that they may pass in the same manner as they pass academic tests. According to the author, of all the things that fail at the college level, this one is the most pitiful. Because of their incorrect mindset, they squander all of their efforts. Although it is difficult for anybody to break such behaviors, boys are capable of doing so.
Health issues are the fourth factor contributing to pupils’ failure. The primary cause of students’ failure at the collegiate level is mental and health issues. The author suggests that the youngster who is having trouble focusing on his studies should see a doctor since many pupils struggle with various mental and health problems. In order to do well on the test, students have to take care of themselves. We need to be aware that good health has no equal.
Financial strain is the sixth factor contributing to college student failure. Many students come from low-income homes and must work to pay for their education. The author claims that some students have significant financial difficulties. Many of the students we see strive hard and want to learn, but they are hindered by their financial situation. As far as possible, we should steer clear of such circumstances. Students who work and study concurrently tend to do poorly academically and financially. It is the duty of parents to oversee the educational materials that their kids use. The pupils should be eligible for scholarships from the institution.
Sporting and intellectual pursuits are the sixth reason for students’ college failure. Some pupils are so engrossed in sports and literary pursuits that they neglect their studies. Without a doubt, pupils benefit much from extracurricular activities and sports, but academics should come first. a pupil with a strong passion for sports. He ought to pursue a career in athletics. For him, that is preferable. Pro athletes should be those that excel in their sport. Students need to be aware that providing education is a college’s primary responsibility.
The least common cause of college failure is the presence of students who go primarily for recreational purposes rather than academic purposes. The author referred to these pupils as lazy bluffers. They lack a genuine life goal. They attend college and then drop out without receiving anything. Leaving children in the cold world is a smart move, as it will teach them a valuable lesson. They may appreciate the importance of the study when they have learned the lesson.