In case of a panicked call after the first round of tests, read this…

Last year, I wrote to families all about how to respond to concerns from students after the first round of tests. That note was the result of a conversation I had with my good friend and colleague, Dr. Rachel Holloway. For those of you who may not know, Dr. Holloway serves as Virginia Tech's Vice Provost for Undergraduate Academic Affairs. She started her career in 1989 as a professor of communications. Dr. Holloway is a fierce advocate for students and undergraduate education. As I began working on this letter, I found myself revisiting last year's note and considering what advice I may want to share this time of year. Because two heads are better than one, I walked down the hall with a copy of last year's note to ask Dr. Holloway to revisit and expand our collective advice of how to respond after the first round of exams. For those of you who have first-year students, late September/early October is the time many students experience their first-round tests, projects and papers. This is often the first indicator of academic success or some areas for improvement.

Academic years have a rhythm to them. Both of us have been at Virginia Tech long enough to know that after the excitement and newness of August moves into September, the routine of campus life and attending class in September subtly shifts toward “test time.” We hear students as they walk across campus talking about study sessions and due dates. Also, this time of year, both Rachel and I meet with students who are struggling because they performed poorly on their first test, project or paper. Many of them immediately express concern that they are the only one struggling. This often sounds like, “Everyone else is doing great except for me,” and they worry that this first poor grade means their whole academic career at Virginia Tech is compromised. We often hear, “I am not smart enough to be here, I can't succeed in this class/major."

Both of us agree that when we are in these conversations with students, we stress how important it is first to help students understand that certain things are normal at this time of the semester as academic rigor increases. Students may panic if they don't perform well on an exam, and they may say things to you like those I mentioned.

We also know that sometimes students just need to vent. You probably know that concerns and frustrations over a poor first assignment are not an indicator of total failure. But they may be an indicator that it's time to use some of the resources on campus.

The strategies needed for academic success at Virginia Tech may be different from high school. There may need to be a shift in study habits and test taking preparation. That is entirely normal. Virginia Tech students have a demonstrated record of academic excellence from high school, so if this is their first experience of academic struggle, it can be particularly unsettling. Dr. Holloway highlighted three resources last year and they are so good I am repeating them. Every student should have these three resources in their back pocket:

• Their faculty: this should always be the first resource—especially if the class is large. Encourage your student to meet their faculty before they need them to establish a relationship. If they are nervous, let them know that faculty want to hear about students' experiences, including challenges, to make the class better.
• Their academic advisors: they can provide students with perspective and reassurance and connect them to the right resources.
• The Student Success Center: this invaluable resource provides individual and group tutoring, which lets students see that they are not the only ones who need support, and that tutoring is simply part of the process.

Now, family members, a final piece of advice. Remember that your reaction to your student's worry is critical here. You may feel your own concern rise. You may worry that this is a sign of future academic difficulty to come. The truth is that most of the time, the first failed assignment is just that – a first failed assignment. One way this first set of bad grades grows into a larger issue is if students worry that if they ask for help, they will be criticized or that someone they care about will “freak out” that they did poorly. Be aware that you may only elevate your student's distress if you react too strongly. We hope that you will reassure your students that they have the skills to do this, and that struggle and failure are merely signs that they are adapting to a new kind of education. Remind them of the three resources above and follow up that they have reached out to their faculty, or their advisor, or the Student Success Center, or all three if they want! Know that Virginia Tech is full of individuals who want to see all students succeed, so encourage them to ask for help. Their success is why we are here!