A message from Marcia Cantarella about I CAN Finish College:

I have had success in working with students in a variety of contexts. On every campus where I have served my role has been to listen to, guide and advise students. There have been hundreds. This book has been a compilation of all that guidance given to lead students to their goal of graduation. It is full of student stories taken from actual experience.

What makes this book unique is that it does not make assumptions about the reader.  No student can know what they don’t know! And, no question is too ‘dumb’.  I am  committed to having Students get what they need to Finish College.   If there is any question that is not answered in the book, contact me here.  I will find an answer or resource for you!

The book  is a compilation of what I have gleaned from hundreds of conversations I have had with hundreds of students like you and the expertise I have built from them and colleagues.

I CAN Finish College answers the questions you may not think to ask or feel uncomfortable asking, because you assume that you are supposed to know the answers. Most important, this book makes it OK to ask questions and to form the kinds of relationships that are essential to get through college.  This is a book that you should get early on in your college career, but it is also one that you may skim at first and then return to often as situations occur and questions emerge along your path. It is a handbook, hopefully, a friendly guide to the completion of college.

Building networks is a critical piece to your college experience and beyond!

READ A STORY:

Here is an example of one of the dozens of real stories you will find in I CAN Finish College

A CAUTIONARY TALE: CHERYL AND WITHDRAWAL WITHOUT NOTICE

In the early fall, Cheryl was called home from school because her mother was seriously ill. She returned to school, but her heart stayed home, and eventually she was actually needed back at home. She left her classes without notice and took care of her brothers and sisters and cared for her mother until her health improved. During the summer, Cheryl began to receive notices that she owed money to the college. She had had a scholarship, but was required to maintain a good GPA to hold it. By dropping out without notice she had gotten F’s in all her courses, and her GPA had fallen through the floor. She lost the scholarship and now owed the school money and had a terrible record.

If she had told her adviser about her mother’s problems, Cheryl could have submitted a formal withdrawal, which would have protected her grades and also her scholarship, and taken a leave of absence. She ended up having to provide evidence of her mother’s illness and the time frame involved in her care, as part of a process of having the courses (and the F grades) removed from her transcript and reinstating her scholarship. In the fall she was able to resume her studies, but she had learned a lesson along the way. Lessons learned: Do not drop out without telling your adviser and your professors, as well as filing the proper forms. Let someone know when you are having a crisis.