An Academic Probation Officer’s Peril And Promise

This piece is the fourth in a series by students and counselors from Bottom Line, a nonprofit that aims to bridge the college-readiness gap by supporting high school students as they transition into college.

I remember so vividly the anticipation of getting my grades each term in the mail, tearing off the perforations to reveal whether or not my all-nighters were worth it. Had I studied enough? Had that extra trip to the writing center paid off? Should I have gone to tutoring? Now, even though grades are available in an instant and perforated paper is a thing of the past, I have that same excited anxiety for my students each time they send me their grades online.

First-semester grades can be a very exciting time for some students and a harsh wake-up call for others. College work is different from high school work and, unlike at the beginning of their first semester, I don’t have to remind my students of this when grades come out. They remind me, unprompted.

Nationally, many students don’t make it past the first semester of college. Though none of my students have completely withdrawn from their schools, some have an uphill battle they’ll have to fight to get off of academic probation. Despite our plan and my encouragement, they now find themselves on academic probation or academic warning at their respective colleges, including one who is facing the reality of academic dismissal if he cannot bring his grade-point average over 2.0 this semester.

As much as I want to prevent my students from getting to this point, the hard truth is that I’ve found that sometimes students need a poor semester in order to light a fire inside. Last year, I had a few students with poor first semesters and, without exception, all have brought their grades above the academic warning benchmark. One of my students ended his first semester with six credits and a 1.5 GPA last year, but we weren’t surprised. He admittedly slept through many classes and didn’t follow the study plan we had laid out. He figured he could slide by just as he did in high school, without putting in the effort that successful college students expect to expend. For his second semester, we worked hard to find productive study techniques and an efficient calendar so he could better use the time he was not used to having in high school. Earning 17 credits and a 3.1 GPA during the spring, he is now consistently maintaining over a 2.5 cumulative GPA.

But it is not just poor study habits that hold students back in their first semester. Students also find themselves academically unprepared for their first semester classes, feeling that they just didn’t enter college with the skills they need to succeed. As a counselor with Bottom Line, I encourage my students to take advantage of the tutoring center, writing center, and professors’ office hours. Many don’t realize that part of the cost of their attendance goes to these resources, so they should use them (especially if they’re paying for them!). It can be frustrating for students, especially those at the top of their high school class, who suddenly find themselves lacking the skills needed to keep up with the rigor of college academics.

It’s important to remember that, even while on academic probation, all is not lost. The transition to college, as we know, is tough, but it’s not impossible. My students and I have worked hard to create realistic study plans and calendars for getting their work done well and on time. Two are in the process of transferring from their current two-year program to bachelor’s degree programs at various State University of New York colleges. I’m very proud of them and optimistic about the progress of my freshmen who are currently adjusting to the rigor of college academics.

About our First Person series:

First Person is where Chalkbeat features personal essays by educators, students, parents, and others trying to improve public education. Read our submission guidelines here.