Reading and Discussion

Matthew Dedewo describes how he became overwhelmed academically and financially during his first try at college and decided to drop out. With a better sense of what it takes to succeed, he’s now back in school.

Prompts for discussion and/or writing:

• Name three mistakes that Matthew made during his first try at college.

• Do you have a sense of what your college major might be? How did you decide on that field?

• How could foster care agencies provide better assistance to people like Matthew?

Group activity:

Youth can work in pairs or in small groups. Based on Matthew’s article, the groups are to come up with three problems they might encounter in college, along with possible solutions to each of the problems. Go around the room, list the contributions on the board, and discuss.