CLASSES start today. For many, it represents an end to summer's freedom and a new beginning of late nights in the library and cramming before midterms. For first-year and transfer students, in particular, it may also be the beginning of a shock for their academic personas and egos as they encounter subjects taught at a different level of comprehension as well as a much stricter grading range. Students that experience this unsettling feeling should be patient and bear in mind that the transition to the University often takes time and months of experience.
The University is considered to be a challenging institution by many measures, and most students find that the academic level corresponds to these expectations. By the same token, the University selects students who they believe will thrive in such a rigorous environment. Many of the students at the University came from the top tenth percentile of their respective high schools.
Unfortunately for many students, the grades they receive when they come to college are significantly worse than the ones they received in high school. This often comes as a huge shock to the majority of the student body and can be a blow to their confidence. It's hard for some students to understand how the same studying techniques and brains that got them excellent grades in high school just aren't cutting it at the University.
However, there is hope. As in any aspect of a transition to a higher level, there is a period of adjustment. In sports, for example, there is always a marked difference between the performances of rookies and veteran players. Coaches usually refer to errors made by new athletes as "freshman" mistakes and shrug them off, acknowledging that these are blunders rookies will keep making until they get used to the higher level. In that vein, a student should write off most scholastic shortfallings that may be encountered in a similar fashion.
In these situations, students should do what athletes do: Practice hard and either upgrade or develop different techniques to compete against everyone else at the same level. Perhaps the study tactics that worked report card magic back in high school just don't measure up on the collegiate field, or doodling in one's notebook instead of taking notes in class leads to an information deficit when exams roll around. If whatever a student is doing isn't working for them, experimentation is always a good bet. Students here were selected out of thousands by a committee that has been reviewing applicants for many years. If they had thought that the applicant was not up to the academic challenges the University presents, they would not have admitted that person.
Perhaps the biggest adjustment that new students have to make is in grading. In a lot of classes here, there simply aren't many opportunities to get grades. Studying for only one or two tests a semester might sound like a good break from the frequent test-taking of high school, but in reality it is a report card curse. If a student bombs a midterm, there may not be a good chance that he or she will be able to raise that grade much, or a bad final can ruin a semester of great work. Tests have to be taken seriously. It is unfortunately typical for students' grades not to reflect the quality or quantity of knowledge that the student accumulated in a class.
It is important to always keep in mind that test taking is a skill in and of itself. It is also a skill that is extremely hard to practice because exams can be few and far between. The best bet to improving test performance is to ask a professor for examples of questions of what will be on the test, or for a copy of an old test.
College requires adjustments in nearly every aspect of students' lives. Unfortunately, academic records stick with students throughout their college careers and afterward. New students must not forget that they will probably make rookie mistakes. It's an obstacle that comes with the territory. First years shouldn't let this get them down. They must keep their chins up and also keep in mind that they will improve as they get experience under their belts.
(Alex Rosemblat's column appears
Wednesdays in The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at arosemblat@cavalierdaily.com.)
Read More
EDITORIAL: Carla Williams deserves her seat at the table
By Editorial Board | 3 hours agoLooking beyond basketball and football reveals that Virginia Athletics is, in many ways, thriving.
UPADHYAYA: The Great and not-so-Good sides of U.Va.’s 2030 housing plan
By Apal Upadhyaya | 2 days agoInstead of improving the dire state of existing infrastructure, however, the University has shifted attention away from it and chosen to expand.
EDITORIAL: Support low-barrier shelters in Charlottesville
By Editorial Board | 3 days agoInvesting in low-barrier shelters now will pay off in increased stability for the homeless, which will undoubtedly improve the safety of shelters and the community writ large.
