Are professors at all universities seeing big drop in college preparedness?

[Anonymous]

OP - I'm the SLAC professor. Thank you for periodically coming back to chime in and read through the thread. You sound like a very thoughtful parent and I wish that all of my students had parents who were helping them with both the soft and hard skills needed to succeed in college, and then more importantly, later in the world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP - I'm the SLAC professor. Thank you for periodically coming back to chime in and read through the thread. You sound like a very thoughtful parent and I wish that all of my students had parents who were helping them with both the soft and hard skills needed to succeed in college, and then more importantly, later in the world.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP - I'm the SLAC professor. Thank you for periodically coming back to chime in and read through the thread. You sound like a very thoughtful parent and I wish that all of my students had parents who were helping them with both the soft and hard skills needed to succeed in college, and then more importantly, later in the world.

Some students don’t have parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP - I'm the SLAC professor. Thank you for periodically coming back to chime in and read through the thread. You sound like a very thoughtful parent and I wish that all of my students had parents who were helping them with both the soft and hard skills needed to succeed in college, and then more importantly, later in the world.

OP

Thank you very much SLAC professor. I have tried hard to work as a team player in our DC’s education because raising children is not an individual sport. It has been helpful to hear what areas to encourage our DC to work on before college years.

One of my favorite poems “On Children” is by the Lebanese American philosopher Kahlil Gibran (1883 – 1931). This poem is 100 years old this year and remains as relevant as ever in our rapidly changing world and advanced technology. My own mother introduced it to me many years ago but I didn’t really appreciate the layers until launching our first child. Parents like teachers, are stewards whom we seek to guide well. But ultimately, it is up to our children/ students to live into their life purpose and dreams.

On Children

And a woman who held a babe against her bosom said, Speak to us of Children.
 And he said:
    

Your children are not your children.
    

They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.
    

They come through you but not from you,
   

And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.
    
You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
    

For they have their own thoughts.
    

You may house their bodies but not their souls,
    

For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
    

You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.
    

For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.
    

You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.
    

The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.
    
Let your bending in the archer’s hand be for gladness;
    

For even as He loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.

From The Prophet (Knopf, 1923).

[Anonymous]

Yes, because of all of the woke nonsense and indoctrination, no one is taught to read and write anymore. What happens when you arrive at college. You are assigned a "paper". I actually had a freshman ask me "what is a paper".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, because of all of the woke nonsense and indoctrination, no one is taught to read and write anymore. What happens when you arrive at college. You are assigned a "paper". I actually had a freshman ask me "what is a paper".

You lost me at woke.

That's the reason a student can't write?

Do better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, because of all of the woke nonsense and indoctrination, no one is taught to read and write anymore. What happens when you arrive at college. You are assigned a "paper". I actually had a freshman ask me "what is a paper".

To be fair, I’m not sure how much the simple assignment of writing a paper will last in higher education with AI capable of writing or aiding kids with writing.

Colleges are going to have to come up with new ways of assessing student knowledge.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This question is for the college professors among us: Are professors at all universities seeing a big drop in college preparedness among undergraduates ? I have heard that that is the case at some very strong universities. I presume this is related to the Pandemic.

If so, what areas are undergrad college professors seeing the biggest skill set weaknesses in? Is it technical academic skills or social skills or both?

What if anything, do you think high school students should be doing to be better prepared for college ?

Thanks in advance

We need to stop blaming COVID for everything... Parents will complain about their kids having "homework", they will get mad if they have to study for a test or complete a project. Also they think they can have unlimited retakes and won't turn anything in...

So you would prefer to pretend that COVID never happened and had no impact on students whatsoever?

Let's face it, it had effect mostly on lazy students. Conscientious students did fine or better.

Exactly. Let’s stop acting like COVID was WWIII.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, because of all of the woke nonsense and indoctrination, no one is taught to read and write anymore. What happens when you arrive at college. You are assigned a "paper". I actually had a freshman ask me "what is a paper".

You lost me at woke.

That's the reason a student can't write?

Do better.

Woke-denier. You are clueless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, because of all of the woke nonsense and indoctrination, no one is taught to read and write anymore. What happens when you arrive at college. You are assigned a "paper". I actually had a freshman ask me "what is a paper".

You lost me at woke.

That's the reason a student can't write?

Do better.

DP but yes

[Anonymous]

I teach in the humanities. I will echo an earlier poster: with Covid and since Covid, there's been a marked uptick in students who are emotionally and socially under-prepared for college, even though they may be academically prepared. Many of my current students--who began their college careers entirely online--find the classroom environment stressful and overwhelming. Professors speak of the "militant apathy" of this current cohort. In my view, what we are seeing is a generation whose confidence, self-esteem, and social skills have been eroded--by their own screen use and by online education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I teach in the humanities. I will echo an earlier poster: with Covid and since Covid, there's been a marked uptick in students who are emotionally and socially under-prepared for college, even though they may be academically prepared. Many of my current students--who began their college careers entirely online--find the classroom environment stressful and overwhelming. Professors speak of the "militant apathy" of this current cohort. In my view, what we are seeing is a generation whose confidence, self-esteem, and social skills have been eroded--by their own screen use and by online education.

I respect your viewpoint and don't entirely disagree, the words "their own screen use" assigns blame to the kids, when there is much more at play. There's also a loss of experiences due to COVID that isn't the fault of young people at all, but most adults seem deeply invested in acknowledging this or helping the generation overcome challenges.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I teach in the humanities. I will echo an earlier poster: with Covid and since Covid, there's been a marked uptick in students who are emotionally and socially under-prepared for college, even though they may be academically prepared. Many of my current students--who began their college careers entirely online--find the classroom environment stressful and overwhelming. Professors speak of the "militant apathy" of this current cohort. In my view, what we are seeing is a generation whose confidence, self-esteem, and social skills have been eroded--by their own screen use and by online education.

I respect your viewpoint and don't entirely disagree, the words "their own screen use" assigns blame to the kids, when there is much more at play. There's also a loss of experiences due to COVID that isn't the fault of young people at all, but most adults seem deeply invested in acknowledging this or helping the generation overcome challenges.

Agree with both PPs.

Easily overwhelmed accompanied by decreased confidence, lower self esteem and social skills is an excellent descriptor for what I have been seeing among some Of DC friends and friends’ DCs of HS age.

When I tell DC they need to grow resilience/ grit to various obstacles, they hyper react so that “toughen up buttercup” approach is not helpful for us. Fortunately their school teachers are empathetic and work with DC. Grades are great but DC is definitely socially and emotionally unprepared for college. We will keep working at it and basic life skills.

I agree that many teachers and adults are trying to help our youth to adapt and overcome challenges. We are grateful for the grace.

Also know many youth who sailed through the pandemic and are doing fine now. There are many vulnerable youth though with social anxieties/ depression/ poor self esteem who are not bouncing back quickly. Thanks to professors and colleges who are trying to support them. It is hard to be young now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, because of all of the woke nonsense and indoctrination, no one is taught to read and write anymore. What happens when you arrive at college. You are assigned a "paper". I actually had a freshman ask me "what is a paper".

To be fair, I’m not sure how much the simple assignment of writing a paper will last in higher education with AI capable of writing or aiding kids with writing.

Colleges are going to have to come up with new ways of assessing student knowledge.

My DS is at a liberal arts college and they have to write papers in class. They have to submit their works cited page prior to class and can only write their essays in class on paper. So they do the research first, bring it with them on paper, and then write the paper in class. Many teachers have students do this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, because of all of the woke nonsense and indoctrination, no one is taught to read and write anymore. What happens when you arrive at college. You are assigned a "paper". I actually had a freshman ask me "what is a paper".

You lost me at woke.

That's the reason a student can't write?

Do better.

Perhaps more pertinent: Why is someone who’s allegedly a literacy-promoting college professor putting the period outside the quotation marks?