New Beginnings: Life Without a College Degree
Sunday Morning Car Ride
The clock reads 7:45 a.m., Thomas James, former Northern Arizona University (NAU) student, begrudgingly rolls out of bed. After what felt like only five minutes of sleep, but in actuality was close to two hours, he begins to get ready.
“It might snow, I don’t want to be stuck in Phoenix overnight,” he grumbles. His usually bright blue eyes are gray, matching the color of storm clouds and his dark mood.
At 9 a.m., after eating a hearty breakfast of French toast and scrambled eggs, Thomas is in the car, ready to make the almost three hour drive to his parent’s house in Phoenix.
Driving slower than usual (70 in the 75 zones), Thomas, to his delight, hits the slow-moving Anthem traffic. He does not say much, not that it is unusual for him. But this morning, by the stiffness of his neck, the rigidity of his back, it’s clear he’s rehearsing what he is going to say to his parents: “I’m dropping out of school.”
“With Their Whole Lives Ahead of Them”
But this is nothing new. A new study supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation found that only 20 percent of community college students, and only 40 percent of four-year university students, earn their degrees within six years.
This study also found that twenty five percent of college students are "traditional students," meaning “those who enrolled in college right after high school graduation, live in dorms, and have financial aid from various sources, including parents.”
This study, aptly named, “With Their Whole Lives Ahead of Them,” also found that most students need to work, with 60 percent of community college students juggling 20 or more hours a week along with being a full-time student, and 35 percent working full-time jobs. One other finding was that the majority of college dropouts cite problems juggling work, school and family.
History of a Boy
Thomas James was born in Dallas to Alan and Melody James on Nov. 17, 1987. He was their second child, with seven years between the two boys. He and his family moved to Phoenix when he was seven years old. He skipped a grade in elementary school, “I had high standardized test scores,” he said. His teachers and parents knew he was smart for his age.
“He began walking at nine months, like his brother,” Melody said.
While attending Mountain Pointe High School, Thomas enrolled in a few honors classes, including pre-calculus and physics. He graduated from Mountain Pointe in 2005 with a GPA of 3.83 and at the age of 17.
Thomas immediately began attending Embry Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU), a prestigious school for Aeronautical Engineering, in the Fall semester of 2005. Not going to college was not an option: it was mandated by his parents. However, he did work out an arrangement; they would pay tuition, room and board, and give him a yearly allowance as long as he attended school.
His mother, Melody, graduated from Arizona State University (ASU), with a degree in Computer Information Systems. His father, Alan, also graduated from ASU with a degree in Physics. While Thomas was in elementary school, Alan went back to ASU to get his master’s degree in Materials Engineering.
“I didn’t even think of not going to college. It was something that was expected of me, something I didn’t even question,” Thomas said. “My brother dropped out of college and as my mom likes to say, ‘He does well….for not having a degree.' My parents never said it, but I knew they were expecting me to graduate, especially because my brother didn’t.”
While attending Embry, Thomas encountered his first problem with school. In his third semester, for the first time in his life, he failed a class, Physics III. Having to deal not only with his own disappointment, he also had to face his parents.
“It was an enraged disappointment,” Thomas recalls. “In fifth grade I got one C and was grounded for a week.” His dad, Alan, recommended that Thomas get tutors and that he study more often. And it worked…for a while.
After completing his fifth semester, and after failing more classes, Thomas decided to make a drastic change. In the Spring of 2008 Thomas switched colleges, becoming a transfer student at NAU, and switched majors. At ERAU he was an Aerospace Engineering major, at NAU he became a Civil Engineering major.
Thomas did well his first two semesters at NAU. But in the Spring of 2009 he failed a few classes. By the Fall semester his GPA was barely over a 1.5.
“I just couldn’t concentrate, or think, or get anything right,” Thomas said. “The more I would stress out, the worse I would do in school. The worse I did, the more my parents would yell at me, which would stress me out even more. It was a viscous, never-ending circle. I started to get depressed. I felt inadequate, like I wasn’t smart enough. I should have graduated already, and here I was, looking at, the minimum, of two more years. I was done.”
Life Changing ‘Small Talk’
Arriving in Phoenix, Thomas parks a block away from his house. Lighting up a cigarette and closing his eyes, he tries to relax before he confronts his parents. Sighing heavily, he starts up his car, sprays cologne to mask the smell, and drives to his parent’s house. He knocks on the door, instead of using his keys. His dad answers.
“We haven’t heard from you in a while. We were getting worried.”
“I thought it would be better to tell you in person,” Thomas says.
At 6 foot 3 inches, he towers over his dad. Following him into the living room, Thomas sits in the recliner. He parents choose the loveseat opposite of him.
“How were your grades last semester?” Melody asks, already knowing the truth.
“I pretty much failed every class. I’m going to take at least a semester off. I’ve been looking for online colleges that offer a degree in Criminal Justice.”
“So, you want to be a cop?” Melody asks incredulously. “Do you think you can meet the requirements?”
“Well, I looked online, and the requirements are pretty easy. ROTC was tougher. Kingman and U of A are hiring right now, and there is a test date in March that I can take.”
“So did you drop out of school completely?” Alan asked.
“No, I just dropped all of my classes, I can reenroll within three semesters.”
“Did you get your money back for tuition?”
“Yes.”
“Well, you can keep it until you find a job,” Alan said.
“I’ve been looking for jobs up in Flagstaff, something to do until I get accepted into the Academy.”
“You won’t be covered by our health insurance. But don’t worry about paying for your cell phone until you get a job, then you can give us the back money.”
Thomas nods his head.
“So what do you want for dinner?”
Life Without a Degree, What’s Next?
An article in The New York Times predicts that the millions of unemployed will remain unemployed for years to come.
“Call them the new poor: people long accustomed to the comforts of middle-class life who are now relying on public assistance for the first time in their lives — potentially for years to come.”
During this economic crisis, many students are now questioning whether or not to attend a secondary education institution.
“The average student is now faced with continually increasing costs to go to school, and diminished job prospects once they graduate,” Kate Eugenis, NAU student, wrote in her blog, “Where Is Our Money Going?: Investigating the NAU Budget Crisis.”
With the increasing cost of education, at NAU alone a 34.6 percent increase in fees and tuition over the course of four years, and the bleak career outlook, secondary education might not be fiscally responsible.
Despite all of the doom and gloom the future is predicted to hold, Thomas remains positive about his future, as well as other college drop-outs.
“If you’re thinking about dropping out of school, it’s not the end of your life, there are options and you can have a bright future,” said Thomas.