Final Grades Mindset
Final grades for undergraduates are due from the faculty tomorrow (Dec. 15) and students can expect to see their grades on the 16th. Final grades being released is typically a high stress and anxiety time for our students, because many of them are afraid you will be disappointed in their grades – or worse, disappointed in them.
Our former Senior Associate Dean of Academic Advising, Dr. Christy Buchanan, had some spot-on advice about students’ grades that has become a staple in how I approach grade discussions with my advisees:
“Students need a 2.0 GPA overall and in their major to graduate, so clearly it’s good to expect that over time. In our office, we are concerned if students are getting one or more Ds or Fs. Families might also legitimately be concerned if a student is consistently getting Cs across all or most classes, although exploring the reason for this is important.
If families are concerned that their student is not working to their potential, I urge them first to express caring concern. Ask if everything is ok. Ask if there is something going on that’s keeping the student from doing their best.
Urge the student to seek out help from professors, from the Office of Academic Advising (OAA), from the Center for Learning, Access, and Student Success (CLASS), or other academic resources. In general, expressing caring concern is likely to be more productive.
It’s much more helpful for parents and families to expect their students to ‘do their best’ in class while also striving for a healthy and well-balanced life that includes sleep, exercise, and healthy involvement with friends and extracurricular activities.
Students do not thrive when they study all the time, and they do not thrive when they feel pressured to get higher grades than those that naturally result from a strong effort in the context of a balanced lifestyle. Our students get good jobs and get into graduate programs with a range of GPAs.”
One other bit of news for today: I had a reminder from our Student Insurance office that now is the time to recheck your student’s insurance status as well as either Enroll or Waive Student Blue for the Spring 2023 semester. This is especially important for students who are returning from fall abroad or going abroad in the spring. Your student can go to the Student Blue website, locate WFU, and log in to their account to confirm their account status. If your family wishes to make changes, the deadline is January 31. If you have questions, please email sip@wfu.edu.