The only personality types that find that college isn't working for them are the Artisans. Right? Absolutely wrong. People are often surprised to find that "intellectual" Rationals drop out along with every other personality type.

What can push people to drop out of college? Finances; pressure from relationships including family, friends, and significant others; having no vision or idea of how college can benefit; and not enjoying the college life experience. Here are some stories about people who dropped out:

Jim, a Rational Mastermind, had a lot of conflict with his roommate. He wasn't sure of his major and didn't seem to have much direction. He dropped out for a year and worked at low paying jobs. He joined a church and started to make friends. He learned that he was competent at his jobs, but that the jobs didn't interest him. He really looked inward, developed his faith and a new vision of himself. He then went back to college in a different major. Now he is married with a family and loves his job as a data guru.

Julia, a Guardian Supervisor, was an officer in a high school club. She had lots of friends. When she became a commuter college student, her father went out of state to see a woman he'd met online. He decided not to come back home, and her mother filed for divorce. All that was normal seemed to dissolve. She quit school to take a job to help her mother support her two younger siblings. Julia's sense of responsibility won't let her go back to school until she and her mother get her siblings through high school.

Mike's parents had divorced and both were remarried. He was a member of two blended families. A Rational Architect, he had a hard time dealing with the emotional fall-out. One step-brother had problems with drugs and had gotten his girlfriend pregnant. Mike started community college, but hated living around the emotional turmoil in his family. He quit to join the Coast Guard and is very happy in his choice. He's appreciated for his technical know-how and his calm demeanor.

Maylene, an Idealist Healer, lived with her mother and step-father and two younger sisters. Her oldest sister had left home at 18 and worked as a merchandiser. A rich aunt died leaving the girls a significant sum of money. When Maylene turned 18, she used the money to get an apartment, buy a new car and enroll in a private college. All the money was gone by the end of the first year. She had a hard time adjusting to attending community college so she dropped out. It wasn't until she was happily married with a family that she finally went back to college and graduated.

Dean, an Artisan Crafter, started school because his well-educated parents insisted that if he was going to live at home, he either had to work and pay rent or else go to college. Dean was always in the garage rebuilding motorcycles for himself and his friends. He started working part-time in an auto parts store. He developed a number of contacts and finally quit school to work in a shop that customized motorcycles. He's developing quite a reputation for his craftsmanship and innovations. He's also living in his own place and his parents respect his choices.

Many other stories could be told - the Rational Fieldmarshal male who went out of state to school, but dropped out after one term to go to the same school as his buddies; the Rational male who went to a school 200 miles from home but couldn't keep up his grade point average so he could stay in school. At home his parents had taken responsibility for reminding him to study and he was unable to do it for himself. You may think that I am focusing too much on Rationals, but I could tell just as many stories for any personality type.

The bottom line is that college works best when the student is in a reasonably stable emotional situation, has some ownership and vision on how the college education will be beneficial and can establish a minimal financial backing for the effort. Without these benefits, attending college may not be feasible.