<p>There is a book called "Increasing Student Retention" by Noel, Levitz, and Siluri. It discusses a "force-field" model of student sucess. There are both positive and negative forces coming from within a student. There are positive and negative forces coming from outside the student. If the net effect of all these forces is positive, then the student leaps over the hurdles and graduates.</p>
<p>The hurdles are:
institutional beaureaucratic procedures
about 40-60 courses of study
about 25000-40000 pages of reading
about 100-200 exams
library research and written assignments
laboratories and other assignments</p>
<p>then the student can graduate.</p>
<p>But, there all these interacting forces at work that advance or retard progress.</p>
<p>positive external forces:
parents
peers/friends
cultural values
benefits of attending college
exposure to college-educated persons
teachers
counselors
college opportunities
financial aid</p>
<p>negative external forces:
lack of money
housing/roommate problems
transportation problems
work demands and conflicts
social demands
discrimination
rejection
family obligations</p>
<p>internal positive forces:
academic skills
achievement motivation
personal interests
career aspirations
enjoyment of learning
self-confidence
college-oriented values
identification with college-educated persons</p>
<p>negative internal forces:
procrastination
lonliness
not asserting needs and problems
self doubt
fears of failure
fears of success
fears of rejection
value conflicts
career indecision
boredom</p>