Son's college list, with a twist

TTG
Mon, 23 Jul 2018 16:22:36 +0000

Speaking from experience, professional and personal, I’d suggest, given what you say about your son doing very well, and being very capable, but underachieving when bored,

–Once he’s all set on a school, have him contact academic counseling before he arrives. Establish a relationship with an academic counselor and find out about any academic preparation classes. Schools often have these; they might be an hour a week for 6-8 weeks or something like that. This is a sign of academic/intellectual strength, not weakness. One of mine is a hard-working, successful student and did this freshman year. They found it helpful. And sometimes schools give a 1/2 or 1/3 credit for doing it.

–Also get a tutor the first or second week, especially for science classes. This is also a sign of academic/intellectual strength, not weakness. At a top university, the pre-med advisor said that 6 students had made an A in their Intro Organic Chem class. Five of the six had gotten a tutor at the beginning of the semester and had not waited until they had disappointing results on the first test, when most of the class rushed over to get tutors. Only a few other students had gotten tutors at the beginning of the semester. This is especially important for pre-med students. Those intro science classes can be very challenging for freshmen.

–Here is a simple list of things students to do to make them successful. They are very important. Students have much more control over their time. Much more work is done outside the classroom, relative to high school. Students who have trouble getting homework and papers done in high school tend to struggle in college.

–Go to class every day. This is essential and many students don’t do it.

–Do all assignments and reading. It contributes to learning, which is the most important thing. But also letting little things slide can easily turn that A into a B or that B into a C, and so on. You don’t want to do all the work for a semester but not turn in 3 small assignments, worth a point each, and have that 81 turn into a 78, that B to a C, for a few minutes of work.

–Get to know the professors. Students often don’t like to talk to professors because they don’t want the prof to know what they don’t know or haven’t read–trust me, the profs usually have a good idea where students are with the material and what they’ve done in terms of reading, etc. Most profs will want to know before tests if a student is behind or struggling and will help the student, or offer guidance. Also, you are paying a lot for school. Office hours offer a grand opportunity for a 1-on-1 discussion with a professor on the subject that the student is learning. Besides, profs tend to root for students who they know well.

–Set aside time every day and find a comfortable, quiet place to study. If a student has that scheduled every day, well, then it is okay to miss one if something is going on. Often the library is a good place to study, or smaller departmental libraries or lounges. The latter also allow a student to get to know profs and other students in the department, which can be helpful.

Good luck!