According to the National Education Association (NEA.Org), the national drop out rate is still high. In 2006, the national drop out rate was 68%. The Oregon Department of Education says drop out rates for Oregon are dropping. In 2006/2007 the rate dropped from 4.3% the previous year to 4.1%, which is about 7,400 students which may not seem like a lot for a state, but this number still should cause some alarm. What is even more shocking is the amount of students who study at home. According to NCES.Org, 12% of 4th graders spend one hour at home studying while the number increased to 37% of 12th graders. The numbers may increase as grade levels increase, however that means 63% of 12th graders are not studying at home.

Students drop out of school for many reasons. All too often it is because they lack certain tools needed to succeed. Learning to study is something that should be taught to students in elementary school. If the techniques were taught at a young age, more students would be prepared for the demands of high school and college. Some high school teachers go over study habits briefly, however their curriculum load is often heavy, making time for study skills comprehension less and less. Colleges usually offer a class to freshman which covers a number of things but specifically study skills. However this class becomes obsolete when the drop out rate is as high as it is. Many students are not attending a traditional four year college. Of those who are attending, less than one half of one percent have grades good enough to make the National Dean's Honor Roll List, according to their website.

Studying can create high amounts of anxiety on students of all ages. Students have been known to fake being sick just to stay home and avoid a test in Math or English. High school students are frequently seen pulling all niters to cram for a test or finish a project they waited till the last minute to start. There can come a point where students make themselves so worried that they cross the line from pretending to be sick to actually being sick. Students can develop ulcers, chronic headaches, depression, mental breakdowns, sleep depravation, high blood pressure and other stress related illnesses.

Even the implication of studying can send some students into an instant panic, so it is time to change how students look at studying. Triggers can be anything, from the word "test" to opening a book. The second an action is requested, the student immediately becomes stressed or anxious. They have learned to associate the word "test" with panic. They learned somewhere whether it was from a teacher, parent or another student that when a test comes, you should be stressed or worried.

They key to successful learning and studying can be achieved through many routes, one new route shows promise for those coping with study anxiety. Hypnosis allows students to identify what their triggers are in a non threatening way. They are able to change their reaction and behavior when their trigger happens. Hypnosis works with each student individually and in a safe environment.

There are of course other treatments out there such as medications or therapy. However medications work with the body's chemical reaction, not their trigger or emotions. Therapy asks children who are already tense, to confront their emotions on a conscious level which can only cause more anxiety. Hypnosis does not use medication and works with the subconscious mind, allowing for less anxiety and heightened emotions.

With the amount of children not getting all they could from education, it is no surprise why the drop out rates are high. There are many different programs, whether they are through a therapist, hypnotist or simply a new teaching technique which offer increased study skills and improved test scores. As a parent you need to research and decide what is best for your student. But consider this, no one wants to cause more stress to an already tense student, there is not reason why the student can not learn new study skills in a safe environment.

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Patrick Glancy, BCH Improve Study Skills with Hypnosis in Salem, Oregon