Mid-term (that’s about right now) is a great time for your student to assess their academic progress and success. I’m sure for most students it seems like they have just gotten started, but they are through with about 50% of the semester. The end of the term will be here before they know it. Hopefully they have a few good grades under their belt and everything has been “smooth sailing”. But suppose your student has been hit with a test or two that didn’t go as well as they had hoped.
The good news is - at this point there is an opportunity to make adjustments that can bring more positive results. If your students are anything like most of their class, they will tend to err on the positive side, “Yeah, Mom and Dad, I’m doing fine”. But for many, despite the “don’t worry” response, students really haven’t given much thought to how they are progressing. Some will just plan to ride things out until semester grades are posted. But really …they have plenty of evidence about their current position.
I encourage students to take an inventory of their grades - for test and homework assignments, talk with their teachers, think about whether they comprehend course material, and determine where they are. If they are barely hanging on to a C average (or worse), it’s time for some readjustment …more scheduled study time, refinement of notes soon after class sessions have ended, discussion with faculty about what needs to improve and seeking out some tutoring support. It is just going to get harder as the semester goes on.
Plenty of students are doing just fine. But if your student seems evasive on the subject of grades, there is time to put things in order. As parents there are limits to what we can do. But we can ask and encourage our students to take a hard look, and we can remind them of the consequences of the failure to take responsibility for this crucially important part of their life.
