Parents of college students can be caught off-guard when they learn that scholarship/loan funds have been cut off, a student is dropped from their major, or they are not going to graduate on time. Here are some tips to help you avoid these situations:
1. At the end of each quarter/semester, have a talk with students about their grades and if there is room for improvement, what plans are they going to put into place to make those changes (time management, tutoring, change of class schedule, utilizing teacher’s office hours, etc.).
2. Go over the student’s degree audit report with them – this will be on the portal where student’s grades are posted – and go over what classes are still needed for graduation. Are they on track to graduate on time? What classes are they taking next? Does the course load seem manageable?
3. If a student has a class(es) that are going to be challenging (math, organic chemistry, foreign language, etc.) encourage them to work with their academic advisors to balance out those semesters with courses that are easier for them to do well in so they have time to devote to the tougher subjects.
4. Did student’s drop or fail any classes that must be made up before they can progress to higher level courses in their major? What is their plan to get these taken care of? Online or community college options during a break may be an option.
Do NOT fall into the trap of believing that colleges will monitor these things for your student or force your student to face the reality of the impact of their grades 2-3 times per year. Academic advisors will assist them in selecting courses and help them prepare a plan for graduation but remember that they are working with up to THOUSANDS of students on some campuses including graduate students. They cannot force a student to take their advice or follow their guidance. They also do not feel the hit to their wallet when a student graduates in 6 years or when classes must be taken over again to fulfill a requirement.
If you find that your student is overwhelmed and in danger of falling behind, schedule a free consultation with us. We can help give them a lot of tips to get them back on track in as little as one hour!
