MESSAGE #228 - COLLEGE STUDENTS: READ THIS LETTER SO YOU DON’T

If you think it’s going to be difficult to graduate
from college, imagine how difficult it will be
to compete against a college graduate
if you’re not one.

Dear Professor:

You probably don’t remember me. I took your New Student Seminar course about five years ago. I never finished the course because I quit school right before Thanksgiving.

I was sick and tired of going to class and studying. I got way behind in my classes. I had so much work to catch up on. It all got to be too much.

As soon as I decided to quit I felt great -- like a ton of weight had been taken off my shoulders. Back then, I thought quitting school was the solution to all my problems. Now, I realize that quitting school was the beginning of all my problems.

The toughest part was telling my parents that I had quit. They were so upset. They had been saving and sacrificing for many years so I could go to college. They were hoping that I’d be the first one in our family to earn a degree. I now wish that I had been a better role model for my younger brothers and sisters. I let everyone down.

I now realize that quitting college was one of the biggest mistakes of my life.

Oh, I had a lot of good reasons for quitting. I had a chance to make some decent money. I had a part-time job and my boss offered me a raise if I worked full-time. So I went from part-time to full-time -- to no-time, when the company went out of business. I naively thought that I had job security.

Back then, I thought I had good reasons for quitting. Now, I know that they were just reasonable excuses.

I never thought that school was really difficult. I know I could have done the work. I just didn’t want to. I hate to admit that I took the easy way out, but I did.

Professor, right about now you’re probably wondering why in the world I’m writing to you. I made a big mistake five years ago. I cannot change that now. But if some day one of your students comes to your office and tells you that he or she is going to quit -- maybe you can show them this letter. Here’s my advice: DON’T DO IT! DON’T DROP OUT! DON’T QUIT!

What I know now that I wish I had known then is that there were a lot of people I met on campus who could have helped me if I had only asked them. I had a great opportunity at Montclair State, and I turned my back on it and walked away.

Regretfully,

A former student

P.S. One last thing . . . one day last May, I remember seeing an article in the Star-Ledger about Montclair State University’s 2007 graduation ceremony at the Meadowlands. It hit me like a ton of bricks when I realized that this is my class -- I was in the Class of 2007. I could have graduated that day. I wish I had.

This article is reprinted from The Montclarion (November 15, 2007).

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