Perhaps your student has received their midterm grades and is worried. Or perhaps your student has talked with their professors and has been warned that things aren’t going well. Or perhaps your student simply knows that they haven’t done what they needed to do so far this semester and things look bleak.
However your student determines that the first half of the semester has gone poorly, they may be wondering whether it is too late to turn things around. Your student may share their situation with you or may worry about how you will react. Encourage your student to share their situation honestly with you. Help them understand that you want to do whatever you can to help them have a successful experience.
Depending on what the cause of concern might be, your student may still have time to salvage at least some of their classes. Here are five steps you can encourage them to take to turn things around.
- Contemplate: This is decision time. Your student needs to begin by thinking carefully about whether it matters to them that they save things and do well this semester. Some students discover that they simply do not want to be in school, are not ready for college yet, or have other circumstances in life that are preventing them from doing well. Your student needs to think about whether they want to forge ahead or take a break at this point. Your student may also need to give thought to options. Is there a possibility of withdrawing from a single class? Taking a course Pass/Fail?
- Analyze: If your student determines that they need a break and/or aren’t interested in moving forward, you may need to help with the process of withdrawing from school for now. However, if your student decides that they want to continue, they need to analyze carefully what the problems are that are getting in the way of their success. Your student will need to be very honest about what has not been working. Have they been attending class regularly? Are they spending enough time studying? Have they been completing all of their assignments on time? Are they studying wisely? Do they need a tutor? Determining the specific problems is the first step to changing things.
- Plan: Once your student has analyzed the problems, they will need to create an action plan to change things. Continuing to do things the way they have and expecting different results will not work. Your student will need to be realistic in their goals (perhaps A’s won’t be possible, but C’s might). Then they need to be very specific about what actions will move them toward those goals. Do tey need to spend more time studying? How much time is enough? When will they study? Where? How much time will be spent reading the textbook or reviewing notes? Do they need to attend class more regularly? How will that happen? Do they need a new alarm clock? Do they need to go to bed earlier? What will change?
- Energize: Now that your student has analyzed the problems and created a plan of action, they need to commit to making it work. A plan on paper means nothing if your student is not energized and inspired by the possibility. Chances are good that, in order to turn things around, the second half of the semester is going to involve a lot of hard work. Your student will need to have the energy and the will to make changes.
- Reach Out: Your student may need you to remind them that they do not need to do this alone. They will certainly have your support, but s-they need to take advantage of all of the resources available to them on campus. Your student should have a frank talk with their professors, visit the tutoring or support center, work with their advisor. They may need to ask for help from friends, residence hall staff, classmates, peers. They can create a web of support that will serve as a safety net.
For most college students, the mid-semester time is a time of recharging. The end of the semester is in sight. Students who are doing well know that whatever they are doing is working. They need to continue on the same path. For students who may not be doing as well, the middle of the semester is a time for re-evaluating and trying to turn things around. It may not be too late. Parents can help students understand that although they may not be able to erase a weak beginning of the semester, they can still turn their experience into a reasonable positive experience.
Related Posts:
Helping Your College Student Avoid “How Do I Tell My Parents?” Fears
Should My College Student Consider Withdrawing from a Class?
Helping Your College Student Make Sense of Midterm Grades
Why Your College Student Should Talk to Her Professor If She’s Struggling
