The A, B, C's (and D's and F's) of Your Student's Final Grade Report. Dealing with Less Than Desirable Academic Performance

By Kim Moistner-Bartlett
Partner, Reslife.Net

Your son was an "A" and "B" student in high school. He had fairly good study habits. So when he left home and headed off to college, you didn't have a great deal of concern about how he would do academically. Throughout the semester you asked him how he was doing and he was optimistic. He never expressed concerns about his academics. So why are you looking at a grade report with C's and D's after his first semester of college? Think you're alone? Don't count on it! Many parents experience some disappointments regarding their freshman's grades after the first semester.

What went wrong? Were there signs or signals I missed? Why didn't my son/daughter let me know that he/she was having academic problems? These questions and more run through the minds of many parents when the grades they're looking at are not the ones they expected. This is certainly a good time to have a serious conversation with your student about his/her academics. If you are paying for your son/daughter's education you are certainly more "invested" in this grade report and will more than likely have very strong emotions regarding this issue.

What can you do? Before doing anything, here are two things you may wish to keep in mind...

• This may be the first time that your son/daughter was faced with increased independence for such a long period of time. Some students seem to deal with this newfound freedom quite well. Most, however, need some time to get adjusted to this change. How does this impact academics? Your student may have made poor decisions regarding time management. He may not have allowed an adequate amount of time to produce quality work or prepare for exams. Socializing is a big part of the college experience. It's easy to get caught up in socializing and extracurricular activities rather than studying. It's not uncommon for first semester freshmen to pull "all-nighters" or ask faculty for an extension on deadlines in order to finish assigned work. Eventually, managing one's time and independence is a skill your student will acquire. However, the amount of time this will take varies greatly from student to student.
  
  
• Your student didn't go away to college with dreams of getting D's and F's. He may have received one poor grade in a class and was optimistic that he'd do better on the next exam. By the time his second exam rolled around he was halfway through the semester. Unfortunately his results were not any better on the second exam. He now has a very limited amount of time to turn things around. Being a first year student, he may have felt intimidated by his faculty member and chose not to seek her assistance. He may not have sought out tutoring or academic assistance, as he didn't know where to go or who to talk to. He may have been too embarrassed to tell anyone, including you, that he was having problems. All of these things can add up to problems in the long run.

Overall, most students want to do well academically. Keep in mind, however, that there are some students who just don't want to be in college and may not be mature enough to be successful in the collegiate environment. As the Director of the Freshman Year Experience at The University of Southern Mississippi, I was always amazed by freshmen who were doing very poorly academically yet were resistant to accepting any assistance in the interest of their success. I recall conversations with some freshmen who told me "I don't care." "I don't want to be here." "I'm doing this because I have to...my parents want me to go to college." While these students were a rarity they do exist on every campus. During your conversation with your student, it is not necessarily a bad idea to re-visit with your student the reasons he/she is in college in the first place.

Beyond having a candid discussion with your student there are some things you may wish to consider doing at the university level.

1. If the college has a First Year Experience or Freshman Year Experience Office, this is the best place to begin. These offices were created to work with the freshmen and provide them with assistance, support and direction to help first year students achieve success academically and personally. This office should be able to tell you about tutoring services, academic assistance offices, etc. They may also have some suggestions as to how you can support your student at that particular college in the semester ahead.
   
   
2. Contact the academic department of your son/daughter's major. Even students who have not yet declared a major fall under a college or department on campus. Academic departments can provide you with information about academic support and assistance. They may have a mentoring program with upper class students that your student could become involved with. Most departments will be glad that you are interested in your student's academic success and will provide you with helpful information.
   
   
3. If the university offers a freshman success course (University 101, College 101, etc.) encourage your student to enroll for the second semester. These courses were designed to help new students adjust to college life. Time management, campus resources, study skills, establishing relationships with faculty, academic advisement, and many other topics are addressed in this type of course. The successful completion of a first-year course has a direct correlation to academic success at college.
   
   
4. If personal issues interfered with your student's academic success (homesickness, depression, roommate issues, self esteem etc.) you may wish to encourage him/her to make an appointment with a counselor at the university's counseling center. University counseling centers are staffed with caring counselors who are trained to deal with the issues college students face. Your student doesn't have to be facing a catastrophic disaster in order to justify the need for counseling. Lots of college students take advantage of the many services offered by the counseling center. Sometimes having the opportunity to talk with an impartial, caring, supportive individual can do wonders when trying to work through life's challenges. These services are usually free to students at most colleges.

While being faced with a less than impressive grade report may not be the most "joyous" experience you'll encounter, it's not the end of the world for your student or yourself. Do what you can to be of assistance, but don't be overbearing. Allow your student to continue to build upon his/her independence and decision-making skills. Check-in with your student on a regular basis, remind him/her of the resources available on campus, and be supportive. Hopefully this academic setback will serve as a source of future motivation and a springboard for success.

About the Author

Kim Moistner-Bartlett is working full-time for Reslife.Net, after spending the last two years designing and developing the Freshman Year Experience Program, while working in the position of Director of the Freshman Year Experience at the University of Southern Mississippi. Kim has also worked as an Assistant Director of Residence Life for Staff and Student Development, and a Resident Director. Kim received her M.A. in Student Personnel Administration in Higher Education from Ball State in 1992 and a B.S. in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point in 1988. In addition to her work with Reslife.Net, Kim is currently in the process of developing "imagiNATION" Inc., a training and development company.