One of the more important determinations that parents need to make is what it will take for their student to be successful during their freshman year of college. There is a spectrum of support that a student can utilize and the trick is finding the right mix of help so that they can learn good habits, be productive, and achieve the grades that they’d like to get.
Let’s take a look at some of the free supports that exist for students:
Writing Center
This is one of the most used services on college campuses. The writing center can help with various steps in the planning process: brainstorming, outlining, editing. I find that most students use this as an editing tool once they’ve completed a paper. It also provides a good accountability checkpoint for students. If they schedule a meeting with the writing center, it puts pressure on them to get their paper done early and be prepared as opposed to waiting until the last second.
Tutoring
Many students will use their campus’s free tutors for various subjects. This is a great option, particularly if students need extra teaching of content in a particular course. Typically, this is going to be done by a junior or senior who shares the same major as the course.
Accommodations
Some students will qualify for accommodations at a college. This means they may get things like preferential seating, extra time on tests or assignments, and copies of notes. In order to qualify for accommodations, students will need documentation of a diagnosis that supports the need for a college to provide them. While these accommodations help students, they are in no way a game changer that will lead to more success. They will simply even the playing field for students who have an impairment or disability.
Parents need to ask themselves questions about their soon-to-be-freshman:
- Will they access and use the resources on campus by themselves?
- Will these resources provide enough support?
- Will my student need more specialized, focused attention?
- Will my student be consistent on a weekly basis with their schoolwork?
- Can working with upperclassmen provide enough help with their classes?
In our coaching program, some of the students we work with are the ones that need more than what a school can offer. They need a professional Academic Coach that can help them learn the skills they need to be successful, provide accountability, and meet consistently week in and week out.