A
question for 'U': Academic
blind spots
From the Fall 2004 Parent Newsletter
My son did well in high school, so why is he struggling
now? We didn’t see this coming.
Situations like your son’s are confusing and troubling
for students and parents alike. Why would a student with
no history of academic difficulty start
struggling? These situations are often easy to understand and address.
One way of understanding is to think about an “academic blind spot” (ABS).
Just like the blind spot we know from driving, ABSs are issues that can’t
be seen without actively looking for them. Students can be cruising along academically—success
in the rearview mirror, clear goals ahead, no problems in sight—when they
bump into an issue that was sitting in their blind spot.
As an example, let’s look at study/homework time. The traditional
guideline is that students should spend three hours of study time
a week for every credit
taken (e.g., 45 hours of studying per week for a 15-credit semester). In this
example, though, we will use a less strict guideline of one hour per credit,
or 15 hours a week. In a recent survey of incoming freshmen (Cooperative Institutional
Research Program, 2001), approximately 77 percent said they expected to devote
15 or more hours to homework. Unfortunately, only 5 percent studied that many
hours in their senior year of high school (86 percent studied 10 hours or less
per week). In another survey (First-Year Experiences, 2001), 64 percent of freshmen
reported that their courses required more study/homework time than they expected.
Two years later, 81 percent of the same group said their courses required more
study time than they expected.
These statistics are not made to suggest that students need to study
more in high school; rather, the statistics point to a potential
ABS—namely, that
increasing study/homework time from 10 hours or less to 15 hours a week is an
unexpected adjustment for many students. After all, if 10 hours or less worked
well in high school, why change in college?
I use study/homework time as an ABS example because it indicates how small skill
issues can snowball into large academic problems and how easy it often is to
fix these situations (e.g., develop a more expansive study schedule). Other common
ABSs include:
- ineffective time and stress management
- difficulty shifting from a high structure environment (e.g., home, high
school) to a low structure environment (e.g., college, an apartment)
- leaving home for the first time
- taking an unrealistic academic load
- too many campus involvements
- under-utilizing resources
Past academic success does not make a student immune from an ABS in college—just
like having a good driving record doesn’t make someone immune from hitting
another car if the blind spot is not checked. While ABSs are difficult for students
to see, they are often easy to spot by others. Taking steps to assess if your
son or daughter is academically prepared for college may prove to be a worthwhile
preventive step. If you don’t find any concerns, then nothing is lost. But,
if an ABS is found, then a lot of frustration and confusion can be avoided. Some
options and suggestions are listed at right for assessment and intervention:
- Identify the ABS—there are several quick,
affordable assessments students can take to highlight a potential
ABS.
- Use resources—remember that others are
often able to see potential issues and can offer practical recommendations
for change.
- Learning and Academic Skills
Center (LASK), 612-624-3323, offers courses for academic
skill development (LASK 1001 and LASK 1101) for students
on probation. Individualized skills training is also available.
- University Counseling & Consulting
Services, 109 Eddy Hall, 612-624-3323, offers individualized
academic counseling for issues such as procrastination and
low motivation, as well as assessment and test interpretation.
The staff is available for consultation with parents.
- Consult with faculty and advisers. Students
gain the benefits of increased efficiency and networking. Faculty
can offer important insights into a potential ABS based on
work with previous students.
- Value balanced schedules. While it is important
for students to maintain a credit load sufficient to graduate
in a timely manner, it is equally important for them to balance
challenging courses with less demanding ones. Students with too
many challenging courses run the risk of deflating their GPA.
A balanced courseload is more likely to result in a healthier
GPA and a clearer mind for focusing on work—not catching
up.
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