Rosemary, while it is true that the real world can be a very negative and at times scary place but the classroom is more of a time to assist them in learning skills to be successful. We as instructors need to populate their tool kits for life and facilitate their learning versus just broadcasting to them the information we feel they need to know. Through engagement and some creative lesson plans, we as instructors prepare students for the real world through positive reinforcement and an understanding of what may cause students to self terminate their educational goals. Jay Hollowell has provided a great top 5 listing of reasons students may lose focus on their educational goals. I highly recommend you visit http://www.careercollegelounge.com/pg/blog/JayHollowell/read/42792/five-top-reasons-for-student-attrition and think of ways you can facilitate ways to assist students in avoiding or properly managing these common causes of student attrition. James Jackson