Will You Be in the 60%?

According to the U. S. Department of Education, the national average for college graduation after six years is 60%.  This means that only 60% of freshmen enrolling in a four-year degree-granting institution will graduate within six years of starting their education.   For many of my students on academic probation this is a grim statistic as they are already behind.  So their “ticket” out of class today was to tell me what they were doing today to be sure they were in the 60%.  Some of their answers were:

·         Go directly to the Library

·         Review notes after each class

·         Start to study now for exam in several days

·         Go to tutoring

·         Talk to professors during office hours

·         Make study cards

I was happy to hear that students were planning to do concrete things rather than just “studying harder.”  This information was a wake-up call to my students who sometimes think they will automatically move forward when actually they are the ones who have to be proactive and make it happen.   I also suggested that they write down their priorities and post them where they will see them and be reminded every day in order to keep themselves focused and motivated.  

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (2016)

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First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com and wordassociation.com.  Click on the upper right link.