First semester freshman grades - 2.0

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We can afford. One idea to take the $9000 (the merit) out of her bank account as a way of getting “skin in the game”
She is not a partier, like at all. She is introverted and has a bad case of ADD. She did not take advantage of any of the supports in the school, or what they had to offer. In terms of accommodations, even though she was entitled to some like extended test time. She said socially, She loves it.

Don’t punish her. It sounds like she needs support to figure out what happened. Help her find solutions.

Yes baby your adult. That will work.

Sitting down and talking about an issue to come up with a plan of action is babying? That’s actually treating an adult like an adult, if you ask me!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, is your DD taking her ADHD medication daily? This would be my first question.

Op here. Yes she is. She has been taking Adderall since about fourth grade the dose has changed, but the medication has been the same. Someone suggested that we maybe experiment with a different medication, and that something we’re going to look into. Apparently there’s a lot of new stuff out there.

[Anonymous]

Second, the Covid online learning year really hit her hard. She took BC calc online in HS. She knew she didn't learn much so signed up for the equivalent of AB in freshman year. For whatever reason, that course was also online and she really struggled. The next year, she took the follow on class (equivalent to second semester of BC). It was in person and smaller and she went to see the TA and discovered that there were whole swaths of material that she didn't know that she didn't know. It was just missing from her knowledge base and she didn't know it existed. Once she learned it, she really turned a corner and is now majoring in applied math.

So your kid is not alone-- freshman and sophomores are struggling nationwide. (I work at a university and the hallway conversations are usually about how badly kids are doing this year and last). Consider lightening her schedule somehow (adding an easy/less homework class to give her more time). See if you're allowed to transfer in summer community college courses, which might shore up her knowledge a bit. And of course, figure out how to make her take advantage of the services available.

PP, thanks for posting this. I'm the PP whose kid is taking a break from college, and it helps to hear that there are others in the situation. It's not like I want others to struggle, but there seems to be something unique to the pandemic experience, especially students who learned remotely during their last years of high school, that has caused problems like disengagement and low motivation in a significant percentage of the student population. It's a mess because these problems aren't easily solved and colleges and universities aren't equipped to meet these students where they are. No one is. It will likely result in increasingly lower enrollment and fewer students getting degrees.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We can afford. One idea to take the $9000 (the merit) out of her bank account as a way of getting “skin in the game”
She is not a partier, like at all. She is introverted and has a bad case of ADD. She did not take advantage of any of the supports in the school, or what they had to offer. In terms of accommodations, even though she was entitled to some like extended test time. She said socially, She loves it.

Don’t punish her. It sounds like she needs support to figure out what happened. Help her find solutions.

Yes baby your adult. That will work.

Same college prof here. Traditional undergraduates (this is a term in the profession used to refer to students aged about 17/18-21/22) are legal adults, yes, but having worked with them for decades now, I am here to agree with the psychological science: they are not cognitive adults. There is some important growth that takes place in the sophomore-junior age group, but generally only seniors close to graduation actually 'read' like grown-ups, even though their brains are still maturing.

Traditional residential undergraduates are often living independently for the first time, and it can be surprising to people outside the education field how much help and support even those without challenges actually need with that--not just now, but in decades past, as well. Undergraduates are further members of an age group that is highly prone to the onset or exacerbation of mental illness, are flooded with hormones, are disposed towards risk-taking, and are traversing legal age milestones that give them increasing access to substances that can be abused.

This isn't to say that they are incapable of good decision-making, only that they need lots of practice with it in lower-stakes environments so that they can make the best choices possible when the chips are really down. Those of us in higher ed try to support that goal every day, and the most successful students have families who support that from afar, as well.

[Anonymous]

2.0 gets the same degree as the 4.0 kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:2.0 gets the same degree as the 4.0 kid.

But does not get into the same grad school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:2.0 gets the same degree as the 4.0 kid.

But does not get into the same grad school

not everyone needs grad school or wants to go to grad school.

[Anonymous]

OP:
Update on something… I just looked at the terms of 9k merit aid. For some reason I was under the impression that we would have to pay full price this past first semester if she did not get a 3.0. The terms actually are she gets the $9000 merit per semester, every semester, no matter her GPA, but it cumulatively needs to be a 3.0 after her first four consecutive semesters, so at the end of sophomore year. Clearly she has to work really hard the next three semesters to get that GPA up slightly above a 3.0 each semester. For some reason I thought the merit was revoked immediately, not even given. I think she may feel less despondent knowing this!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:2.0 gets the same degree as the 4.0 kid.

D is for degree

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP:
Update on something… I just looked at the terms of 9k merit aid. For some reason I was under the impression that we would have to pay full price this past first semester if she did not get a 3.0. The terms actually are she gets the $9000 merit per semester, every semester, no matter her GPA, but it cumulatively needs to be a 3.0 after her first four consecutive semesters, so at the end of sophomore year. Clearly she has to work really hard the next three semesters to get that GPA up slightly above a 3.0 each semester. For some reason I thought the merit was revoked immediately, not even given. I think she may feel less despondent knowing this!

Great news, OP. The misunderstanding might be just the wake-up call she needs to formulate and stick to a plan next semester.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP:
Update on something… I just looked at the terms of 9k merit aid. For some reason I was under the impression that we would have to pay full price this past first semester if she did not get a 3.0. The terms actually are she gets the $9000 merit per semester, every semester, no matter her GPA, but it cumulatively needs to be a 3.0 after her first four consecutive semesters, so at the end of sophomore year. Clearly she has to work really hard the next three semesters to get that GPA up slightly above a 3.0 each semester. For some reason I thought the merit was revoked immediately, not even given. I think she may feel less despondent knowing this!

That is great news. It sounds like their policy acknowledges that many kids go thru an adjustment period. Your daughter will be relieved also.

To people who will be accepting offers in the coming months—pay attention to the fine print of your child’s merit aid. Some are based on the cumulative GPA, but at others, aid can be permanently be lost based upon one rocky semester (which are common for STEM majors). You want more forgiving rules

[Anonymous]

That is good news OP, i hope that helps her be less despondent and focus forward.