Working on problems in Intro to Nuclear Thermo Hydraulics taught by Dr. Joshua Schlegel. Michael Pierce/Missouri S&T
There’s a rhythm to a college semester.
There’s the nervousness at the beginning of the semester as students look at the syllabus for each class and realize that there will be a lot of work to do. Gradually, however, routine settles in, and work feels more manageable, and not as overwhelming as it seemed at first. This may be a bit of a honeymoon phase.
For many students, the first reality check may be midterm exams and midterm grades. This is the time to discover what has been working and, for some students, it’s a recognition that some things need to change.
As students near the end of the semester, a second reality check occurs. Now there are only a few weeks remaining and some students may become paralyzed as they face their situation. They freeze because they’re not sure how to begin or how to deal with what needs to be done. If you feel that your student may be overwhelmed by any of these situations, start a conversation.
5 situations that may be paralyzing your student and how to take action
Attendance — Your student has missed a few classes. Actually, your student has missed many classes. They haven’t been to class in a few days, or maybe even a few weeks. Now your student doesn’t know what to do. They fear that if they go back to class now, the professor will embarrass them in front of the other students. The professor may tell them they are going to fail and shouldn’t bother coming to class. They will be so lost in class that they won’t know what is going on.
Your student needs to find out whether all is lost or whether they can return to class and save their grade in the course.
Assignments — Your student has failed to hand in some assignments — perhaps more than a few. Now they have a double problem. It feels as though there is too much to do to dig out of the hole. And the professor may not accept late assignments anyway.
Course Registration — By this point in the semester, students at most colleges have registered for their courses for the following semester. Unfortunately, some students — especially first-year students, who usually register last — find that the courses they selected may already be filled. Some students freeze and don’t know what to do to find other options. They move on with their current work and forget to address next semester.
Big paper, project or assignment — Although many students had major projects to complete in high school, they may have had more guidance and check-in points as they worked on them. Your student may find now that a project assigned early in the semester is almost due. Your student hasn’t worked on it, and it now seems overwhelming to even know where to begin.
Getting answers — Your student may have questions about many things at school. Sometimes students don’t know who to ask, but sometimes students call the appropriate office, leave a message, and get no response. When they’re not sure what to do next, they do nothing.
When difficult situations arise, it’s a natural reaction to freeze or feel paralyzed. It’s scary not to know what to do next. It’s stressful to feel that you are not in control. Help your student problem-solve difficult situations and find ways to take action to move forward.
Source
Author of Article: Vicki Nelson. Article adapted from https://www.collegeparentcentral.com/2019/11/5-situations-that-may-be-paralyzing-your-college-student-right-now/. Please Note: Missouri S&T does not endorse or have a relationship with SOURCE and articles are provided for information purposes only. Missouri S&T and SOURCE do not assume responsibility for error or omission in materials.
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