In this sense, dropping out can be a form of self-care. Others might cope with the work, but will struggle with the environment – after all, oppressive systems like racism, sexism, cissexism, heterosexism, ableism, and rape culture exist in a lot of university spaces.įor most of us, it’s a combination of factors. Others might leave because they’re struggling to deal with the stress that comes with university work. Many people leave university or college because of a lack of funding. Asking about it might be like picking at an old wound. If you know that someone dropped out of university, but you don’t know them well enough, don’t probe them to figure out why they dropped out.įor many of us, it’s a personal issue. Here are a few things to avoid saying to college dropouts. It’s important to think about how our words reflect our worldview, and how what we say can impact those around us. This measure of intelligence also adds to the oppression of those who have learning disabilities and mental illnesses. More often than not, we measure someone’s intelligence by how well they cope in a Westernized education system. Your intelligence isn’t determined by whether or not you have a degree.īut – more importantly – your intelligence (or lack thereof) doesn’t define your worth. There’s a harmful idea that people with degrees are somehow better than people without degrees. They’re also grounded in a worldview that perpetuates ableism, classism, and other forms of oppression. It’s assumed that we partied too hard, that we’re not hard-working or tough, or that we wasted an opportunity. We’re often told we’re “stupid” or “lazy” – words I dislike because of reasons outlined in this article. The pain I felt from having my life shuffled around was exacerbated by the thoughtless comments people make about dropouts. Leaving was what I needed to heal and recover, but I still missed being in academia. I left college temporarily for mental health reasons. I had this experience when I took a break from university last year. If you’ve ever dropped out of university or college – temporarily or permanently – you’ve probably had to deal with some negative stereotypes about dropouts. Person sitting at a table surrounded by open books while staring deliberately at their laptop
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