Dear Parents:
As the semester begins to wind down, many of you will begin to notice a shift in attitude of your freshmen. The energy that accompanied your student after returning from Fall Break will be gone and in its place will be frustration at classes, registration, and an overall sense of readiness and anxiety for the semester break.
In the coming weeks your freshmen will register for classes for Spring Semester. Many will not get all of the teachers and/or courses they originally sought or desired. Please encourage your students to talk frequently with their academic advisors regarding any concerns or difficulties they have with their schedule. Of course, they can also see us and we will help them find what they need to keep on track. Additionally, the schedule they create and register for is not permanent. Students have until 4:30 pm, Friday, January 19, 2018 to add and/or drop any classes from their schedule. They register and make changes through our on-line system in Self-Serve.
Along with the stress of registration, many students will feel overworked and extremely tired during these last few weeks. Often, freshmen begin to develop a sense of regret about coming to the University of Portland, or even going to college in the first place. Many students feel as though they are not doing well enough in school, especially in comparison to high school, and that they would have been better off staying at home and working. Remind your students that the average freshman’s college GPA is about one point less than it was in high school and that this is not unusual in their first semester. Also encourage them to continue working hard and to build effective stress relief time into their schedule. Reminding them to sleep and eat right will also be important. If you will see your student over the Thanksgiving Break, use the time to pump them up for the homestretch of the semester. When they return to campus after the four-day weekend, they only have two weeks of class and then finals week itself.
Many students are not sleeping enough. We have found that many freshmen students put off all their studying until late nights and early mornings (1 a.m.). That may not be a problem with your student, but we have counseled many students to use the time between classes to study and to get some sleep. Many students experience sleep deprivation and do not know it. Sleep deprivation hurts their ability to do calculations and reduces reading comprehension, but few students believe it. We tell them to study during daylight hours!
Most freshmen are studying a lot but not always wisely. Some students have problems because they are studying in their rooms. We advise them to find other places to study because their rooms may hold too many distractions. Phones, food, technology, social media, and visitors can break concentration and make study time less effective.
Many are struggling in calculus, chemistry, biology, physics, philosophy and macroeconomics. Some came unprepared for college-level classes because they did not understand the conceptual basics of calculus and physics in high school. Others struggle because they think two hours of homework per day is enough. However, by better managing their time and seeing their professors, many students will pass. In addition, students can also visit the Learning Commons in Buckley Center 163, to get individual help for each of these classes. The Learning Commons can help students learn how to study more effectively, prepare for exams, practice language skills, receive math and writing tutoring, or improve memory strategies. Please encourage your students to visit
http://www.up.edu/sarc for more information on how to set up appointments, or call 503-943-8002 to get any questions answered.
Many freshmen struggle in their first semester but then do very well in the long term. Some students are very concerned about their major, thinking that they may no longer be certain about their academic course of study. To assist you in assisting your student, we have attached an information sheet about choosing majors.
With all this talk about struggle, how can you help your student feel love and supported during this time? Every year, many of our freshmen parents order Pilot Survival Kits for their sons and daughters. What is a survival kit? They are kits which include UP swag plus snacks and goodies depending on the kit ordered. Proceeds from these Survival kits help fund the Student Alumni Association. For more information and to order, please contact Nancy Nofziger at 503.943.8327 or
nofziger@up.edu.
One last note: remember our Shepard Academic Resource Center website includes more information for parents and family. There you’ll find links to academic and event calendars, parent FAQs, information on Proxy access, care packages through Bon Appetit, and a list of suggested readings, among other resources. Each month we update the site to include information on common struggles students work through as well as what you as parents can do to help with these issues. Twice a month, we post articles on timely issues happening in your student’s life – registration, final grades, getting healthy, etc. So be sure to visit
http://www.up.edu/sarc and check out our new resources for you!
Don’t forget, if you have any questions please feel free to contact the Shepard Academic Resource Center at (503) 943-7895.