College
can be a great learning experience for students. Parents can play an
important part in helping their students be successful at college. I
think it helps for parents to take the "big picture" view of
college--that
college is one more step in the direction of your student becoming an
independently functioning adult. So, you can make your best
contribution not by "taking over" your student's educational life, but
by helping her or him understand the tasks involved with becoming a
successful college student and "coaching" them to solve their own
problems. Keep in mind that college is much more than job
preparation--it is
life preparation!
- College-The Big Picture
A.
The major role
change in college is that a
student comes to college to become a scholar—a
learned person--not just to pass courses. Faculty members believe that
students are here for a broad education, not just for career
preparation.
B.
College is a learning environment
in which the student has a major responsibility for becoming engaged in
all the
learning opportunities available here.
C.
Students are expected to be responsible for
monitoring, applying and managing their learning and learning
strategies.
D.
Taking responsibility for learning
is one of the critical aspects of successful scholarship. We want
students to develop “habits of the mind” that will lead to a desire for
lifelong learning.
E.
Students can have fun while doing well at school,
but school
must come first!
F.
Learning and change are often uncomfortable. Like
other
aspects of life, not everything goes smoothly at college. Sometimes you
will be
“stuck” with a faculty member you don’t like, a boring course, or an
inconvenient
class schedule. Keep it in perspective.
G.
Parents role: To coach their students in coming
to
understand the expectations for scholars and help student learn to
solve
problems for themselves.
- Typical Faculty Expectations
for Classes
A.
Faculty will distribute a syllabus
and we expect
students to read it and follow it. Many faculty will not “hand hold”
students
who don’t take the time to be prepared and knowledgeable.
B.
That students will attend class. There is no
uniform
University rule about attendance. Most faculty members will expect you
to be in
class, and some will count off for not being there.
C.
That students will present for exams and turn in
work
on time. If a student must miss class they will notify the professor
immediately. Faculty members don’t like it when students come in after
an
absence asking for consideration. University excused absences come from
the
Dean of Students Office.
D.
Students will have basic skills in reading,
writing and
oral communication. Faculty will help students with these basic skills
(and may
refer students to a variety of resources), but it isn’t the role of the
faculty
member in the classroom to do remedial work.
E.
If students are having a problem in class or with
learning that the student will take the initiative to come see the
faculty
person and talk about it. Student has to take the lead in this and not
wait
until the last minute to talk with faculty member.
F.
If a student wants to see a faculty member
outside of
class make an appointment. Faculty have at least five hours per week of
appointment time, and while they may be in the office they may be
writing,
preparing for class, etc. when you drop by outside of office hours.
- Greatest Impediments to
Success as a First Year College Student
A.
Poor class attendance.
B.
Coming to class unprepared (don’t read assignments ahead
of
time,
etc.)
C.
Poor study skills (many kids breezed through high school
and
didn’t develop good study skills).
D.
Poor time management (not spending
enough time
studying). Many kids got by easily in high school and aren’t prepared
for the
amount of
time it will take to do well. It takes 15-25 hours per week study time
to do well.
E.
Treating writing papers as “crisis intervention”
(waiting too late to write, producing only a final draft, not
understanding the
writing conventions).
F.
Mistake whether they like the instructor with
whether
they should be working hard in class (I’m going to get a C or D in that
class—I
really don’t like that professor). Need to do well in class for
yourself!
G.
Don’t know the skills necessary to
be comfortable and
learn in large classes. Need to sit up front, be there on time, get to
know
some people
in the class, ask questions, talk to your professor every day, etc.
H.
Joining a fraternity/sorority during the Freshman
year (takes too much time, some groups do
not
encourage academics). Wait until you have your feet on the ground as a
student, then join if you want.
- How to Be an Effective College
Parent Step One: Preventing Problems. Discuss These Success Tips with
Your Student. Students should:
A.
Get to know his or her academic advisor (it may be
a faculty member or
may be professional advisor). Need to form a relationship, be planful,
think
ahead, and seek out advice as necessary.
B.
Talk with his or her instructors and get to know them.
Let
them know who you are, ask questions, make an appointment if they need
help.
C.
Make friends with people in class that they can
study
with.
D.
Go to study skills or writing workshops if you
need to.
E.
Schedule time for study first—at least 15 hours per
week
outside of class.
F.
Know the catalog and the requirements for the
major. While
they have an advisor but it is up to the student to stay current and
take
responsibility for their program of study.
G.
Let someone know immediately if you are having a
problem. Don’t wait until the last minute to seek assistance.
H.
Use the resources here at college for
assistance—Academic
Advisor, Counseling Center,
Academic Support
Center, Career
Services, Student
Health.
I.
Get involved in some activities on campus that
can extend learning
outside the
classroom. A few examples include student organizations,
intramurals, and volunteering in
the community.
- How to Be an Effective College
Parent, Step
Two: Encouraging Problem-Solving.
A.
First, recognize that college is “real life” and
a major goal of college is to develop new skills and manage life more
independently.
Don’t be
too quick to take over problem-solving for your student.
B.
Help your student take some time and sort out the
problem, identify alternatives, and look at what they can do to solve
the
problem. If it’s a problem with a class or a faculty member, have them
talk
with the faculty member first. But be prepared when they go to talk
with the
professor. Know what it is that you think is a problem, and have in
mind some
outcomes that you would like.
C.
If this doesn’t work, have your student follow
the problem solving “chain
of command:” For academic problems or issues first talk with
Instructor, then department chair, then the academic Dean’s office.
D.
Have your student utilize all the resources
available at college to help the
student—examples include the Academic
Support Center,
departmental tutoring,
their advisor, and the Counseling and Student
Development Center.
E.
Make sure that you and your student are familiar
with
University rules and procedures. Be sure to read the academic
regulations
section in the University catalog and the Student Code of
Conduct. as
outlined
in the Student Handbook.
F.
Keep in mind that learning and change is often
uncomfortable.
Like other aspects of life, not everything goes smoothly at college.
Sometimes a student will be “stuck” with a faculty member you don’t
like, a boring
course, or
an inconvenient class schedule. Its one of those things in life to
which students must learn to adapt.
- How to Be an Effective College
Parent Part
Three: What if This Doesn’t Work.
A.
Remember your goal--for your
student to learn
how to solve his or her own problems. Keep this perspective as
you proceed.
B.
Don’t threaten to call your a legislator, the
Chancellor, the Board of Trustees, or a lawyer. This usually impedes
problem
solving.
C.
Find out from your student what his
or her side of the story
is. Ask for copies of relevant things—course syllabi, academic rules,
etc.
D.
Work up the chain of command but take the tack
that you
are fact-finding. Often you hear a story from your student that is not
the most
accurate.
E.
When you get the information from
others at the
University then talk again with your student and see if this puts a
different
perspective on things. Brainstorm again how your child can solve this
problem.
F.
If all else fails and you really
believe that there
needs to be an intervention on your behalf, write a letter to the
department
chair or dean in the relevant area and respectfully outline your
concerns along
with suggesting what you would like to see as an outcome.
7. If
your student is suspended from school because of academic
problems.
A. Recognize that your student is pretty
upset. Do your best to be
supportive. It won't be easy as you will likely feel
angry and let down. Put your feelings aside for a bit and be
empathic.
B. Help your student
make a plan to use the time during suspension to put him or
her in a good position to return to school. There are a number of
things your student can do; refer here for suggestions on Making the
Most of Academic Suspension.
Here are some
suggestions for additional useful resources:
College
Rules: How to Study, Survive and Succeed in College
by Sherrie Nist
and Jodi Holschuh, 2002, Ten Speed
Press.
Dr. Brown's Academic
Resources Page
Dr.
Brown's Becoming
an Engaged Learner Page
ECU Advising Centers
and Resources
ECU Dean
of Students Office
ECU Family
Guidebook
ECU First-Year Center
ECU Office of
Parent Services
ECU Student Handbook (Student
Code of Conduct)
ECU Undergraduate
Catalog
