In 2019, a study showed that 41% of students drop a class during their first two years at a four-year university. The majority of students reported three different reasons for their drop: not liking the course, not liking the instructor and being unsatisfied with their grade. This study also showed that “a student’s preparedness is not a driver of course dropping,” showcasing that academic inclination is not as important as we think.

In the academic model, the measurement of success can become a bit murkier. One contributing factor to the lack of clarity is the issue of where you, as a student, sit in the flow of the academic transaction. You might see yourself as the customer or you might be the product. It presents a few questions: the first is who determines that and the second is what is the difference.