Tutee: “I have always made “A’s” in high school, so I know I should be making “A’s” in college too.”
College
is a whole different realm because we are challenged and graded on more
than just the assignment completion. I would explain to my tutee that
making good grades is not out of the question, but that since college is
the next level it is supposed to be harder. I understand that the tutee may feel overwhelmed. When I started college, I realized just how much I was spoon-fed in high school as we were not challenged and graded more-so on whether or not we completed the assignment. I would reassure them with one of my favorite quotes "With desire, focus, and the willingness to treat every obstacle as an opportunity, it's amazing what you can accomplish", and direct them to this website filled with tips for transitioning from high school to college. I would also let them know that I survived, therefore they can too.
I love how you are consuming the role of a new college student. You have sought out your own sources of comfort and are serving as a very positive student and colleague. The way that you have looked at college is very different than many. I wasn't as positive... I hated learning new study skills and understanding new professors. All I wanted was to know how I could be successful (not why I wasn't being successful). Luckily I figured college out fairly quickly, but a lot of our students are non-traditional and we must remember that no matter how different school seemed to those of us straight out of high school, it must be completely foreign to those that haven't been to school in years.
ReplyDeleteKeeping a positive opinion about college, expectations and reassurance are key to being good tutors and tutees.
Thank you, I try to be as optimistic as I can be in every aspect of life. My heart goes out to those who have been out of school for years because I honestly couldn't imagine. I understand why my mother has always stressed to me to go straight to college and to fully finish. I also understand why everyone in my family has always praised me for my knowledge in computers. Even though it's a different world for non-traditional students, I know that with a little help they'll be able to succeed like all the others.
ReplyDeleteI love your quote, it is one of my favorites also. You are very right in saying that in high school, we are spoon fed. I realized this too when I got into college. In high school, I had no trouble at all with history, I quickly learned that college was a whole new place.
ReplyDeleteI actually used that quote as my senior quote in high school. I also realized that when I got into to college that history was a different story because they sugar-coat history in what they teach you from kindergarten to high school. I never had any idea about all the horrible things Christopher Columbus did until my first semester of college.
DeleteDang, I was going to say 'Good quote'. Worthy, too. That should be a motivational poster in the lab somewhere.
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