Midterm grades are coming in, and some of you are walking around with a smile on your face. Some students are afraid to check, and have no idea how they have done in their classes; some students are not so happy with the grades they have earned and are starting to worry about losing scholarships or messing up their dreams for graduate education.
A significant number of students know that if they don’t change their ways, they will be asked to leave the University because of poor academic performance.
If you are happy and satisfied with your grades, good for you! Just keep doing what you are doing. If, however, there is room for improvement, it’s time to make a clear assessment of the problem and get moving so that you can salvage this semester. Ask yourself these questions:
Am I making my classes a priority? Do I attend every single class, unless I am seriously ill?
Am I realistic about the study time I need to put in? Maybe you were able to get all A’s in high school without studying, but most college students need to log some serious out-of-class work time. If you are doing poorly in a class and you are not working on it for a good chunk of time, nearly every day of the week, you know what you have to do.
Am I using the resources available to me? If I’m struggling in math, do I use the math lab? Have I talked to every professor during office hours at least once, and have I had a problem-solving conversation with the professors in the classes with which I am having difficulty? Don’t forget the Writing Center, the Student Success Center, and the Counseling Center when you are thinking about resources that might help.
Are my personal habits interfering with my academic performance? Am I always exhausted or hung over? If you are drinking or drugging, your academic performance is not at its peak. You also can’t do your best work if you are too tired to pay attention or you are trying to get through the day on soda and doughnuts.
Am I letting other people determine my schedule for me? Whether it is your roommate, a buddy or a spouse who is encouraging you to do so many other things that you don’t have time to study, you need to regain control of your schedule. Decide how you want to handle things, write it down, and then have an honest talk with the people in your life who are distracting you. Stick to your guns.
Do I need to think about creative solutions? Is it time to look for a tutor, or begin typing all my notes for my history class, or take my laptop to class, or make big posters in magic marker to remind me of my Spanish verbs? If you feel you are devoting adequate time to studying, but you are just “not getting it,” brainstorm solutions with your professors or a high-achieving friend.
Am I blaming others instead of taking responsibility for my own performance? We do have many wonderful professors here at UT Martin, but you are not going to be thrilled with every professor or every class. Sometimes you just have to do the work anyway, instead of complaining about how hard the tests are. You can usually be successful, even in a difficult class, if you are willing to be flexible and work hard.
Am I approaching school with a positive attitude? If you tell yourself that you are failing and there is nothing you can do about it, you are likely to fail. If you adopt a positive, problem-solving approach to any academic difficulties, you are more likely to succeed. Give yourself a pep talk!
It’s just a few short weeks until the end of the semester. If you are willing to take stock of your situation, make an honest evaluation of your efforts so far, put in more study time if that is what is needed, use your resources,and find creative solutions to the barriers you have encountered, you can turn yourself around and head in the right direction.
