<p>My husband and I are heartbroken to have just learned that our eldest son (of 4 children) was just put on academic probation after failing 2 courses after his first semester in college at a state school. On top of this, he is now unable to play on the mens basketball team for which he was recruited to play. How could he chance, basically throw away, his life long passion of playing collegiate ball by not doing what he needed to do academically?</p>
<p>We knew that college would be tough for him academically, but we have been there to support him and all he had to do was ask us, or anyone else at school, for help; especially after we have discussed this issue about 100 times.</p>
<p>He only received only 7 credits this terms and now has to earn up to 24 credits by the end of the summer, which will now involve extra money and so much more work. How could he possibly dig a hole this big? His coach is going to help us get him academic help, but we are just so dumbfounded. Any suggestions?</p>
<p>I think you should ask the moderator to put this up as a separate thread and possibly move it to the parent's forum where you can get more advice (hopefully from other parents of athletes)</p>
<p>While he is on academic probation because of his grades for the fall term your son needs to know that it is not the end of the world, he can overcome this but it will take some work on his part.</p>
<p>I think that right now the thing that he will need to do is 1) choose a less rigerous course load so that he can have the opportunity to raise his grades and get off of probation. Will he have to get atleast a 2.0 in his next set of courses or will he need a 2.0overall gpa to get off probation and maintain his scholarship? If he received 2 F's in 2 3-credit courses, he will need have to take 2 3-credit courses and receives A's to counteract the damage from the 2 F's. </p>
<p>Are the 2 courses he failed needed to meet his graduation requirements? Is there a grade replacement policy in place where if he takes the course again and passes, that the F will be replaced by the new grade?</p>
<p>Your son needs to be straight up front and tell you why he failed his courses. Did he fail because he attended class regularly, did all of the assignments, took all of the test, met with his professors for help and still found that the work was over his head? Or did he fail because of a lack in time management skills, a little too much hanging out and not enough class time? Your son is not going to know what changes he needs to make unless he acknowledges where he messed up. If there were academic problems with the course work, tell your son that he must utilize all services available to help him be successful; professor office hours, tutoring, academic skill centers, and whatever help his coach sets up for him.</p>
<p>If he needs to pick up credits over the summer, find out if he will be able to attend the local community college to pick up these credits as they may be a more financially feasible option.</p>
<p>MomB, I totally understand. My S did the exact same thing (except he's not an athlete) only worse. He failed all classes except two D's. It makes you sick doesn't it? </p>
<p>He had promised he would put so much more effort into college than he did in high school but apparantly found it much easier to sleep through classes and/or not turn assignments in. He lost two of his best friends in a car wreck (that he witnessed)just weeks before school started. He was still eager to go to college but we think now that may have played a role in his lethargic performance</p>
<p>He is now on academic probation for Spring semester. Our first inclination was to not allow him to return for Spring but have decided to allow him to go back and have a chance at redemption.<br>
He will be retaking the classes he failed and use his school's "grade replacement" option to replace the F's with new better grades he plans to make this spring.
If he fails to meet the required gpa for continuation at the end of spring semester, he will be suspended from school for a semester and have no choice but to come home and go to the CC. </p>
<p>It is all on him to succeed or fail. He will either get it together and do it or he won't but he will never be able to say we didn't give him a second chance.</p>
<p>Both S and I have been in touch with his academic advisor since receiving the grades. She has promised to keep closer tabs on him this semester by communicating with him more and checking in with his instructors to monitor his progress.</p>
<p>I can imagine that the pace of college may have been overwhelming. The transition from high-school to college is tough in the first semester given the transition in living away from home and having to do many chores that were previously done for them. College courses provide little of the hand-holding from high-school and students have to get with the program fast with little or no guidance. The demands of a college sport also take away from time and energy for academics.</p>
<p>There are all of the distractions of new college life too: girlfriends, parties, socializing, etc.</p>
<p>A lot of students have a hard time asking for help. And many have trouble figuring out where to get it. There are students that come to this forum looking for help that don't know about the tutoring resources at their school or that they should ask professors for help during office hours.</p>
<p>A lot of students do not understand the ramifications of what they do at the moment to the rest of their lives. When you ask "how could he ...?", the answer is that he made a long path of decisions which led to the particular outcome. My son tells me that this sort of thing happens to a lot of students.</p>
<p>Getting to 24 credits by the end of the summer sounds like a challenge. The normal credit range per semester is 12 to 15. If he takes 15, then he'd need 9 from summer courses. It is possible to do 9 during the summer but it can consume a huge amount of his time. It may be hard for him to do well with a 15 credit courseload in the spring given his difficulties in the Fall.</p>
<p>Someone needs to do a post-mortem on his performance to figure out what the problems were and to determine if they are fixable for the spring semester. After that analysis, you can then work on a decision for the spring semester.</p>
<p>MomB - I'm sorry you and your S are suffering through this.</p>
<p>I can't add much to what's been posted above, except to say that failing courses is not normal. DW is a professor and I can tell you she agonizes at giving grades under C. There is something going on and you shouldn't expect significant improvement until, as above posters have said, you figure out what is wrong. Put in basketball terms, if your S's opponent scored on him every time down the floor, it's not enough to say "Play better!"</p>
<p>Usually athletes have mandatory study tables a few times a week and an advisor who keeps track of how the student athlete is performing and making sure the athlete is attending class. While it may have been a shock to you this should not have been a surprise to your son or the coach. I would make sure there is a support system in place but also let your son know your expectations. Good luck!</p>
<p>Yes, it is ultimately your son's responsibility but there is no excuse for the coach (or his staff) to let it get this far. There needs to be very clear communication about what the system is going to be this coming semester.</p>
<p>The other posters definitely have the right idea - he needs to figure out why things turned out the way that they did and how he needs to change his behavior. Assuming that he gets that taken care of, I wanted to address part of the remaining issue - getting back on track.</p>
<p>From your posting, I am assuming that he is on the semester system and needs to get to 30 units prior to the start of next Fall's semester. Given that he passed 7 units, I am further assuming that the two courses he failed were 8 units total (either a 5/3 or a 4/4). </p>
<p>So he has 7 units right now. Assuming that he passes 15 this spring that means 8 units next summer. Very doable in summer school at the local JC or online via one of the many online programs - he will need to check with his college to find out which ones they accept.</p>
<p>The trickier part from an eligibility perspective is that the 8 units need to be making "progress towards his degree". For that, he will need to be working with his NCAA advisor at the school to select the appropriate classes. </p>
<p>While I am sure that his coach will be all over him along with the academic advisor, what I would be looking for as a parent is a plan that says take these course Spring Semester and these courses over the summer and he will be back on track. </p>
<p>If he just needs some units, I'd suggest two types of courses for this spring and summer (single unit classes).</p>
<p>1) Weight lifting / physical fitness - he needs to do it anyway, might as well get a unit for his effort</p>
<p>2) Film Appreciation - almost every degree requires taking an certain number of art classes. Film appreciation consists of going to the movies - typically seeing 4 movies in a genre - and then writing a compare and contrast essay on the movies. Typically is done in a 3 days stretch - Friday night, Saturday afternoon and evening and then Sunday Afternoon. Great class for catching up because it requires one block of time and then it is over.</p>
<p>MomB, you said you knew it would be hard for him, so I'm thinking this is a kid who had had academic problems in the past. My oldest fit this mold and is now a grad student at MIT. </p>
<p>What we found is that he had a tremendous study skills issue. Maybe this is the case here? After a bad first college term we pulled him and got him the help I wish we'd understood he needed earlier. He went back and did very well. </p>
<p>All hope is not lost! Try to calmly evaluate what the situation is and move from there.</p>
<p>I know of several student athletes. Sadly, when a school offers the athlete a scholarship, they hide the fact that these kids will find it VERY tough going for the semester that they are participating in the athletics. Practice and games take an enormous time comittment,which requires very strong time management by the student.</p>
<p>In addition, many of these kids need tutors to keep up with the rigorous time requirements.</p>
<p>In addition, most schools fall into two categories: the first, provides tutors, and lots of support for the athletes. The second category provides very little support.</p>
<p>My dentist's son got a full ride to both Princeton and Duke. Duke provided a lOT of support for the athletes including tutors on the buses, and much more. Princeton didn't provide anywhere near that type of support; thus, my dentist's son chose Duke. I would be interested in finding out what type of support services your son's school provides and whether he took advantage of these services.</p>
<p>I have mentioned these two types of schools because you will need to look into whether this school provides the support that he may need.It the school doesn't provide a lot of support, it may not be the right environment for him.</p>
<p>Also, as others have said,taking a much lighter and easier load this semester would be crucial in order to bring up his GPA.</p>
<p>I also had a student/athlete who was in over his head several years ago. He did fine when he was participating in his sport--although it was an academic challenge--he teetered on the edge for two semesters. It was only after injury that he took the long downhill plunge, he had no time management skills. WE brought him home, he went to a local college and worked and had to reapply to another school close to home. He is doing fine now, but not without a lot of soul searching. I had the same thoughts as you at first, but came to realize this is his life and he has to figure it out. It is part of life's lessons and growing up. Good luck to you and your son. I so know what you are going through and what you are feeling!</p>
<p>momB - I know exactly where you are right now. I was in your shoes last year at this time. My athlete D ended that first semester with a 1.22 gpa and only 8 credit hours. In high school she was the big star - top student and top athlete who got the scholarship to the top school. I was in shock throughout the holidays last year.</p>
<p>Now a year later, she has climbed back up out of that hole. Two semesters at/above 3.0.</p>
<p>Her problems - </p>
<p>1.Not adequately prepared for the classes she was in first semester. (Calculus, Bio Sci, Latin were too hard given her high school curriculum.)</p>
<p>2.Poor study habits and time management skills</p>
<p>How she solved the problems -</p>
<p>1.Registered for easier classes.</p>
<p>2.Better organization and time management</p>
<p>3.Summer school</p>
<p>I mentioned to her this Christmas break how wonderful it was to not worry about her grades like we did last year. She said she had wiped that from her memory. (I think the whole thing was too painful for her to remember.)</p>
<p>After you've figured out whether or not the school is a stretch for him academically and whether he was adequately prepped in high school for his first semester classes, you should ask whether he thought he kept up with each class from the get-go. One thing that many college students don't realize that the material in most classes is cumulative. Thus, if you don't really grasp the material in week #2, it'll be hard to get a decent midterm grade, and almost impossible to get a handle on all the info in time for the final. Ask whether there were any "optional" homework assignments/problem sets and whether he did them. Lots of college profs provide ways for students to check their understanding through the semester so that they aren't passively listening for the semester and then shocked by their lack of understanding when they start studying a few days before an exam. I found that many athletes don't do things outside of going to class and listening (even foregoing the reading assignments) because they are kept so extraordinarily busy with games/practices, however they need to realize that going to a class and passively listening -- when you're exhausted from practices, thinking about other sports obligations etc. -- is no where near enough to keep up with other students.</p>
<p>I would want to know to what extent he is drinking and how much of a role that is playing in his poor academics. Is there a frat involved? </p>
<p>F's usually indicate a complete failure to even show up for class or turn in assignments. Most professors aren't going to fail a kid first semester freshman year who is making a good faith effort. But, if the "team" and the partying took precedence.....</p>
<p>I'm a little surprised that the coaches didn't provide tutors and keep better tabs on your son's grades. Basketball players are usually watched closely unless your son is at one of the stronger academic schools. Your son should talk to the coach and come up with a plan for getting back on track and getting to class.</p>
<p>Thank you to everyone who responded to my question, as this was the very first time I used College Confidential. You all had good insights, most of which we have questioned and/or thought of ourselves, so at least we feel we are on the right track. Some had great questions and suggestions on how to proceed and for that we are extremely grateful. We have many unanswered questions ourselves as to how our S got into this predicament. He returns home in 2 days and then we can really begin this painful process and try to determine what went wrong and how to best help him. Nothing can be done with the college until after January 2 when offices reopen from the holiday break.</p>
<p>We had thought of bringing him home and sending him to CC, but I believe we have decided to give him this Spring semester to prove himself trustworthy to continue next year...this will be with the addition of summer school (at his loan expense) as well as significant tutoring, counseling and mentoring services being put in place in order for him to continue for the Spring semester. The counseling is going to really surprise him and get his attention I suspect, but it will also show his willingness to crawl out of this big black hole he dug, despite the many months of pain ahead he will need to endure...and if he was in denial of just how bad things were/or had gotten in the Fall semester, he is in for a real shocker this next semester!</p>
<p>Once again, thanks for the continued thoughts, suggestions and best wishes.</p>
<p>They are going to now. Supposedly, initial progress reports showed he was not doing great, but was not failing either. It would have been nice if we had known so that we could have gotten involved sooner, but then again, it was up to our S. to take that responsibility...unfortunately we see now that he either didn't or couldn't figure out how to do so.</p>
<p>MomB - In addition to the usual athletic/academic services there may be more for your son to explore. I know that Univ of MD, College Park has additional services for at risk student basketball athletes. They have a 2 year program which includes classes on note taking, paper writing, how to study, etc. Each student is assigned to a dept member who closely tracks their progress. Your son may not need this intense type of service but thought I would mention it. Since UMCP has one I am assuming most large state universities do.</p>
<p>Time Management and failure to be prepared is really what it boils down to.</p>
<p>First semester of college I had similar issues... partied alot, didn't study as much as I should have and so I ended up with like a 1.8 after my first semester and on academic probation. Be stern to him, but also realize that this is often the hardest semester of college for students. My transition wasn't smooth... and with having a newly found freedom and being out on my own for the first time I didn't make the smartest decisions. But now, 2 semesters and 1 summer after receiving my first semester grades, my GPA is up to a 3.3.</p>