Safety net was needed

YOUR NOV. 17 editorial "Getting in isn't enough" highlighted an astounding problem in colleges today regarding graduation rates. I fell victim to the darkest problems of my life while attending college. I suffered from substance abuse and, consequently, depression in my sophomore year at Boston University. As an overachiever in high school, I received an amazing financial aid package; my whole family couldn't have been prouder - or more shocked when they discovered my problems.

Students can feel left out at many colleges, particularly those with a large student body, and their problems go unnoticed. In my case, the only form of attention that was shown after failing classes in the first semester was a notice of academic probation and a meeting with an adviser. Schools need to detect these problems after an especially poor semester and require meetings with a counselor to find a solution. Rarely do people, especially young adults, seek the help they need or even feel they have a problem.

I had the benefit of picking myself up from the bootstraps and starting again at community college, and now I attend University of Massachusetts at Boston. I was fortunate to have a second chance, but what happens to those whose problems go unnoticed and can't afford to start over again?

Ryan Clough
Belmont