Boarding Schools for Girls

It is okay to encourage students to go to college even if they don't show promise academically, according to a new study in the American Sociological Review. Children who do not get into college or complete their degrees do not suffer mental health damage if encouraged to do so.

• Professors John Reynolds and Charlie Baird found that the percentage of high school seniors who want to get college degrees had doubled compared to the percentage of people who had earned degrees between 1976 and 2000.
  
• This created an effect they called "ambition inflation."
  
• In order to study this effect, the researchers used data on 4300 participants in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, comparing symptoms of depression among those did and those who did not achieve their educational goals.
  
• There was little difference between the two groups.

However, students with lower levels of education showed depression relating to lower attainment, but not from feelings of failure. Many young people believe that they can go back and earn degrees in their 30's or even later.

"Aiming high and failing has consequences to mental health, while trying may lead to higher achievements and the mental and material benefits that go along with achievements," Dr. Reynolds said. "Young adults with college expectations may visualize having their entire lives to realize their educational plans."

Labels: colleges, education

Posted By: Aspen/CRC