Midterm Exams Are Coming Up! Does Your Student Know Where S/he Stands?

By Beth Harrison, University Learning Services

One of the most perplexing things I’ve learned about college students as I’ve worked with them over the years is that they always seem to think they’re doing just fine in their classes--even when they’re not. Perhaps it’s human nature to think that everything will be all right rather than looking disaster in the eye and figuring out how to fight it head-on.

Most of your students will have had one exam in each class by now, or turned in (at least) one paper. And hopefully most will have received feedback and earned grades showing that they are doing just fine. But your student may not have done very well in one class, or even in most classes. How can we help our students recognize that not doing well on an assignment or a test is not the end of the world but IS something they should pay attention to?

I believe it was Albert Einstein who said that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. When I ask students what happened on an exam or assignment that didn’t go well, they often say, "I just didn’t study hard enough. Next time I’ll study harder." In many cases, the following assignment or exam doesn’t go any better than the first. Chalk one up to Albert.

As educators and as parents, we need to help our students understand how important it is to acknowledge to ourselves when what we’re doing isn’t working. This is important in life, of course, but it’s crucial in college. Students who are not doing well now, in the first part of the semester, have plenty of time to turn themselves around and finish the semester strong—IF they get help in figuring out how to study more effectively.

What can you do? Encourage your student to talk to someone about how they’re doing:

• Their roommate or their Resident Assistant can be helpful, but perhaps not as helpful as their instructor or Teaching Assistant.
• Their Academic Advisor can help them decide whether they’re in the wrong course (the deadline to drop a course without prejudice is October 12).
• The Writing Center can help with writing (621-3182). The Writing Skills Improvement Program provides tutoring for students who are referred by their instructors (621-5849).
• MASTR (Math & Science Tutoring Resource program) can help with free tutoring in math, biology, chemistry, physics, and Spanish (626-9398).
• OSCR (Office of Student Computing Resources) helps students with technology-related training and problems (621-6727).
• CAPS (Counseling & Psychological Services) provides professional counseling and brief treatment (621-3334).

And the Learning Consultants at the University Learning Center can help your student create an overall plan of attack and keep him or her on track throughout the semester. Encourage your student to make an appointment by calling 621-4548 today! Help us help your student learn to do things differently and be the most effective student s/he can be.

Dr. Beth Harrison can be contacted via email at eharriso@email.arizona.edu