An alarming 10 percent of students drop out of universities in the Kingdom. The phenomenon is largely attributed to an increase in several psychological, social and environmental factors, a researcher at King Saud University said recently. In a lecture entitled “Adaptation problems and university life”, psychological and social affairs researcher Dr. Ahmad Al-Hariri recommended that secondary schools should acquaint students with the university culture and its demands. “This must be done by schools that care about their educational reputation. Schools must help students develop a sense of discipline, which includes attending on time, coming to class regularly and staying in the education institution until the end of classes or lectures,” he said. Students in private schools often attend for one or two days a week and are shocked by university life which places a strong emphasis on attendance. The Orientation Year Deanship was set up at King Saud University when the dropout rate reached 30 percent last year. “It has a motto of discipline which is practiced from the very first day when students receive their timetable,” he said.
