<p>My D has two midterms today then she's driving with another girl from town around 7 hours to come home and visit her dogs. She saw us last weekend for parents weekend. </p>
<p>So far, she has had a good time. She's had ups and downs over classes and professors. Partly because she's so used to doing extremely well that doing almost extremely well drives her nuts. She has been willing to try different things and even things she tried when she was younger and didn't like, now she enjoys. </p>
<p>She was upset over a calc class where part of your grade depends on your review of another students tests and if they don't make the corrections you suggest...you lose points. So in order to get a perfect score your test has to be prefect and your fellow student's has to be perfect. She lost points on the first one because the other student was stubborn and refused to make corrections. I suggested she talk to her professor about it because what do you do in that situation... yell or smack the other student? That's not what she's there for. </p>
<p>Solution was move to another area and have new testmates who appreicate the corrections. So now, not a problem. </p>
<p>The big thing I've encouraged is professor meetings. She is at a small LAC whose true advantage is small class size and professor contact. I told her to use it. She has and feels much better about things. Plus her professors know her as a serious student. </p>
<p>Son is on cruise control waiting to hear back from medical schools. He is enjoying his last year of college and frat life. Getting to job shadow a surgeon and learn a bit. This break he isn't coming home. Being 21 and only having your parents to party with at home, make staying around campus in a college town a bit more appealing. So he's normal. Just saw him last weekend as his college is 25 miles away from D's school. So we'll catch him for turkey day.</p>
<p>Seems like most, if not all, have had a bit of an awakening as to the realities of college grading. Not a bad thing to have happen at the turn. Better than at the end.;)</p>
<p>Yes, I think a rude awakening in one course or another is a nearly universal freshman experience.</p>
<p>I wish that more colleges, especially selective schools that enroll mostly high-strung over-achievers, would go to a pass-fail first semester. It's a big help in breaking the cycle of grade-obsession, whether it's overt or bubbling under the surface. That first "C" still sends a message about how college requires stepping up your game, but does not trigger all the associated psychological baggage at a time when most freshmen already have plenty of that to deal with.</p>
<p>Well, my daughter's problem is that the C is not in a freshman course, so no one is going to make any allowances. She used her AP credit to accellerate into a course usually reserved for sophomores & above, and she loves the class. She writes well, but she probably didn't provide the depth of analysis in her essay that was expected. She told me that in the past, if she had done the reading and attended class regularly, she always got A's. I told her college is different than high school. </p>
<p>This may also illustrate the issue with AP's & accelleration referenced in the MIT thread -- it's possible that with an AP, the student gets the basic factual knowledge required for the course, but misses the analytical framework. In other words, my d. knows the information, but she hasn't had a year to also learn what college profs. would like her to do with it in terms of thinking about it, applying it, and expressing her knowledge. College is about more than having the right answer. </p>
<p>As far as I know, there are no problems with the first year writing class. It is my d's insistance on taking a harder-than-typical first year load, including more than the recommended number of units and intermediate level courses at Columbia as well as Barnard, that is proving to be a little tougher than anticipated. </p>
<p>In any case, grades and financial aid are not a problem -- d. is only required to maintain a 2.0. So that C is all she needs. Barnard also has a pass/D/F option that can be used for any class if she is really concerned about her GPA, though as her mom I really don't see anything all that terrible about a C. I'd rather see her getting C's in challenging courses at her reach college than A's in easy courses at one of the safeties she passed up. I mean, she's there to learn, right?</p>
<p>It's interesting that many students had a rude awakening when it came to their writing. My D is getting all As so far - but hasn't had to write very much yet. She's in large lecture-type classes where tests are fact-based with only minor writing components. I'll be interested to see how she handles a big writing assignment - and how she reacts to what may very well be a rude awaening.</p>
<p>It's not just the writing. It's the step up from spouting learned facts to actual thought that sometimes trips up freshmen.</p>
<p>I absolutely loved the only question on my daughter's take-home final exam in American Politics, a course that primarily focused on the historic roles of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government:</p>
<p>I think it's both, really. I think it is that transition from spouting learned facts to thoughtful expression that is what tripped my daughter up on her exam. I asked her whether she had enough time to finish the essay, and she said she had no problem -- she was done early -- so that's what makes me feel that she probably provide the facts without the analysis. </p>
<p>But in her first year writing seminar, where she is doing well, she expressed dismay over the poor quality of writing of a few of her classmates. So I do think that some kids arrive at college without really knowing how to write well. My d. shared some of her English essays with me -- I was quite impressed, and I can see that my d. is very capable of the kind of thoughtful, in depth writing that is required in college; I think she just didn't realize that it was also expected in the essay section of an exam in a social science class. But apparently there are students even at highly selective, elite colleges who still do have difficulty putting it all together in written form and expressing their thoughts in a cohesive way.</p>
<p>Cheers: Knowing that calmoms D is going through the same thing my D is. "harder than anticipated courses." Sorry calmom, but I'm glad my D is not the only one. I wish both of our daughters the best. It's not easy!
Cheers: D is receiving the Platinum PT award (as I'm writing this) from a Colonel in the Army for scoring a perfect 300 on her Army Physical Fitness Test. :)
Jeers: Roomie and her are not getting along too well lately, but I'm hopeful this will get better.
Cheers: D is doing great on the competitve cheerleading squad and is used as the demonstrator for everything.
Cheers: "D" sent me a random e/mail today. She said she was reading a starbucks cup and found the following statement to be very uplifting.....</p>
<p><em>All unhappiness and stagnation results from a feeling that you are at the mercy of the world and the people in it. But what a joy it is, what a major shift to strength and power, when you no longer wait around for others to favor and love you, for others to flatter and reward you. Reward and flatter yourself, favor and love yourself.</em></p>
<p>Cheers: Seeing her opening her mind everyday to the things in life that truly matter.</p>
<p>calmom, I wouldn't sweat it. That C (if it stays a C) may just be her badge of courage. Just like UG admissions, grad and professional schools place more emphasis on later grades. </p>
<p>To everyone, the requirements and grading practices of individual and quirky prof's in college have such an immense range it will take the kids some time in some courses to find their footing. Not all. In D's science classes she has near perfect averages, and as I said in her non-science not up to her standards but still "very good". I'm glad she has her science courses to balance out the equilibrium! Today she seems pretty confident she can improve a little.</p>
<p>Going to a school that is known for it's writing program and its rigor has to count for something, right?</p>
<p>Curmudgeon, you know how much I respect Rhodes' intense and thoughtful writing program! I have a good friend who graduated from there who is getting attention as a writer now and who is just a very creative person, and then there is graduate Peter Taylor of course who some people think wrote short stories as perfect as Chekov's. </p>
<p>Good for her for lobbying to get in the class of a highly rated teacher who actually sits down and edits and critiques writing and hands out As sparingly. Composition instruction is a rare thing in this world. She will never regret it. And her grades will all even out beautifully.</p>
<p>She tests well and works hard, so she will be ready for the Medcat, the LSAT or the GREs when she graduates, but these more elusive artistic competencies are hard-won, and she deliberately picked the liberal arts mode for her undergrad years.</p>
<p>My S's Writing 20 class at Duke only gave out two As, and there was a lot of moaning and groaning. He landed one of them, but now his emails home often include news where he is suddenly in the middle of the Bell curve: "I made a C-minus today which was great because it was one step above the mean score in the class." (or sometimes one deviation step below the mean) gulp. It really is all about tenacity and perspective and finding your limits and talents the slow hard way. Sometimes I wish he was in a school where he could continue on forever "at the top" but we all know even as doting parents how illusory "the top" is. Instead, he is learning about challenge and what he doesn't know yet and he is struggling often. He always had a pretty accurate view of himself and that is helping now that he is not in Kansas anymore. </p>
<p>The thing we feel most pleased about with our son who is certainly not going to graduate at the top of his class, but may be able to get out in pretty good shape..he seems totally excited about each of his talented friends and not the least bit jealous about their various unique gifts and successes. He does study groups with students that coach him and encourage him. He is inspired by friends even when they out perform him on exams, and the friend that visited us on fall break weekend also made sure to praise our son as one of the "finest writers" in their class last week. Although I miss being part of my S's daily support group, it is also "parental happiness" to see that another support system that works is forming in our son's life. Life can be very tough and these years in college can have their bleak moments but his sophomore friendships are gaining depth and sustaining him. If he hits a valley, someone down the hall has a solution or suggestion or new outlook. amazing.</p>
<p>What a wonderful post faline! I hope D reaches that perspective. I hope she gains such a perspective. </p>
<p>Edit: I continue to tell D that I think a "lesser" grade in her writing course with the tough prof will pay big dividends down the road . Some of those dividends will be practical- higher grades on papers in all classes, some will be artistic and/or emotional - being able to accurately portray your thoughts and feelings in writing. Both are substantial.</p>
<p>Faline, at my son's college, the grade reports include the median for the class, so students always know where they stand in relation to their peers. DS's goal is to be above the median, but even that's not easy in the classes he's taking. I wish his school had a little grade inflation! I also hope grad schools take into account which college an applicant is attending.</p>
<p>My D#2, is a freshman and her health is a concern too. She had mono last October and the college health center fears she may be having a relapse. Last year it took the pediatrician forever to diagnose her. Have they checked your D for mono?</p>
<p>My kiddo (first year at Earlham) has learned she needs to slow down and cut back. I've been happy to see that she has. She went into the semester thinking she could do it all. She registered for 17 credits (all writing intensive classes.) She's a Bonner scholar so she needs to do 10 hours of community service on top of "bonner seminar" and paperwork and meetings and such. She scheduled 13-15 hours per week at her non-profit. She signed up for a twice a week dance class (noncredit). She assumed she'd be doing the same level of activism and Quaker work that she'd been doing at home She belongs to, at last count, 11 Quaker committees at the state and national level--all last spring and summer I saw her saying yes to yet another request to join yet another committee and wondered how she thought she was going to handle them! She had a long list of clubs she wanted to join once she got on campus.</p>
<p>For the first month or so of school she was juggling with all her might and sounding very much less than her usually perky cheerful self every time I talked to her. Although she's been doing fine, her school work is taking far, far more time than she had thought. She's pulling all nighters and spending much more time in the library than anywhere else. Her grades have been good, but she's knocking herself out like never before to get them. </p>
<p>So she's cut back on other stuff. She kept the extra hours of service work and has tried to keep on top of the Quaker work (although much of it includes traveling and she's only managed one weekend away). She let the dance class go and put the activism on the back burner. She sounds better. She's more on top of her work and has actually taken some time to go to a concert and do some just for fun activities. </p>
<p>Now the biggest ongoing drama is how hard it is to get any time to see her boyfriend. Since she headed west to college in Indiana and he headed east to college in NH I'm left wondering how they thought they were going to manage any better than they have! :-)</p>
<p>Cheers, and a surprise- my liberal arts dd pulled an A in an engineering math course we tried to talk her out of! ("I want to keep my options open"), also the only 4 credit class.
The other side of the coin is her A in English- writing intensive, and her prof pulled her aside this week to both compliment and criticize her last paper in an amusing way by saying something like "your thesis was that of a deep thinking 30 year old, but your analysis reminded me that you are 18" LOL!</p>
<p>Tears- she was home for fall break, rekindled her local university/old HS friends' relationships and didn't want to go back!
Hopefully, she's in the swing of things now again back at school- no calls yet!</p>
<p>Now I've got my HS sophomore S amblimg through... PSATs tomorrow and he could care less about them!</p>
<p>Garland, your "okay" post reminded me of what I am hearing. I am trying to figure out if "great", "fine", "okay", and "I'm not sure" are going to translate into A, B, C, and D or A, A-, B+, and B. And, I almost forgot, there is one more: "I have it under control." I guess we will find out in two more weeks.</p>
<p>csshsm--For the first two years, the spread was more like your latter choice. This year, we are getting less info than usual, mostly because of things going on with him that are not class-related but may be having an effect on classwork, or not--we really can't tell. H and I are reduced to fretting and trying to read virtual tea leaves to figure out what's going on with him. But we will have to rely on track record, until we hear otherwise.</p>