<p>Work together with your son to make a written PLAN. Put in expectations in terms of grades, communication, etc - including financial expectations... (such as what percentage or total amount of loan son will be responsible for repaying, etc.) It should be an amicable process - one designed to make clear what each party is responsible for, and what the next step if is son doesn't successfully follow plan - and make sure you both sign it and get copies of it. It really helps if the rules and consequences are explicit. I would also suggest that your son signs the form allowing you access to grades and college information. Your son is an adult, so this planning process should be more of a mediation between adult parties, than a draconian parent action or a punitive experience. You are both on the same "side" and hopefully both want the same thing; a rewarding and educational college experience with a diploma and employment waiting at the end. :)</p>
<p>I visualize this situation as the 'tippy' boat phase. Lots and lots of boys are in tippy boats in freshman year. That is why many colleges are now 60% women. </p>
<p>Male students make immature decisions such as too much socializing (drinks/PS2) and too few classes and whammy--they hit the concrete wall of exams and end of term papers. Boat starts to tip and unlike high school years, immature students are unable to right it at the last minute. Heck, half the time they don't see the tip coming--even though mother may be shreiking. Boat goes over and with it, many good grad school opportunities.</p>
<p>Many top grad school opportunities are lost but not all--if student starts to paddle like hell and earn As and only As. </p>
<p>Sit your son down and walk through the GPA scenarios with a calculator --semester by semester. He's hit the concrete wall of GPA hell. However, boys are not too swift in the anticipation department. Lay it out for him. Put the fear of the GPA God in him.</p>
<p>Your main mission is to put this train wreck back on the tracks. In a year or two, I might let him take a semester out to work a really fabulous CV-building-job--but there is NO WAY I would take him out of uni right now. He might never go back. I would help him visualize himself as a successful student. It CAN be done. </p>
<p>What prompts have worked in the past? Was he lost without coaches? There is too much down time in Freshman year if you ask me. The core courses aren't that compelling. Does he need to get on a team to get the discipline back into his life? Does he need to join the newspaper or another organzation to get himself out of the dorm and away from the PS2 boredom? Maybe he should coach a primary school team?</p>
<p>One good coach substitute might be his advisor--if he/she is sufficiently intimidating--or the Dean of the College. Have him make appointments. Have him get some advising and some scolding from the administration. Buy him a diary and have him fill out a study schedule. Have him sign up for extra writing help at the Writing Center--whether he thinks he needs it or not.</p>
<p>For example, it is damned tough to fail a course if you attend EVERY class. How many classes did he skip? He needs to front up to every single class from here on out if he wants to rescue his GPA.</p>
<p>Good luck. He will probably come right next semester and you will laugh about it in the years to come.</p>