College Professors Say that 75% of New Freshman Are Not Prepared for College, But Your Child Can Beat the Odds With a Little Work This Summer

When your son or daughter departs for college this fall, he or she will begin a new life without the invisible support structure that was so key to his or her achievements.  All of the hidden structures that reinforced his or her academic success, personal and emotional health, and fulfillment of basic obligations will fade into oblivion upon enrollment in college.  Your son or daughter will be left to navigate the choppy seas of life in college without much guidance or personal support. Too many of these new freshmen will struggle to meet the demands of life on their own, both in-class and outside of class.

In recent surveys like the ACT National Curriculum Survey , college professors have repeatedly sent the message that new freshmen are not prepared for college level work.  In the linked-to survey, only 26% of college professors said that new college freshmen were well-prepared for college level work in their academic area.  In a recent Washington Post article, college professor Maclean Gander highlighted the widespread struggles in college of students with top high school grades and SAT scores. Gander attributes students’ poorly developed executive function abilities as a primary cause of struggle, with the increased complexity of college level academic work as a secondary problem.  In our experience, these struggles are far more widespread than high schools, parents, and students are willing to acknowledge.

Yet, success in college can be achieved without suffering.  Our Off-to-College Summer Program gives your child the exact tools he or she needs to acquire solid grades, build a resume that will make him or her an attractive candidate for graduate school or employment, and to have plenty of time for fun and relaxation. We teach students how to prepare properly for classes, how to read texts for meaning, how to take useful notes, and how to write clear and concise essays. Further, we teach students to manage time with proper planning and review, how to build relationships with faculty and mentors, how to create productive and healthy routines and habits, and how to transform talents and aspirations into real accomplishments.  Our program launches students into success from their first day on campus.

What Does it Take to Achieve Solid Grades in College?

The core skill set for academic success in college is efficient comprehension.  Because the pace and complexity of class materials is high, one must be able to quickly identify important ideas and concepts and dismiss unimportant details in order to keep up.  Retained understanding comes easily with appropriate organization and classification of terms, ideas, and definitions. Clear and concise notes, preparation for each class reading assignment, and a technique for understanding professor lectures are the cornerstones of college academic achievement.  Students must learn a method to efficiently break down texts, prepare for exams, and write essays or they will be constantly behind.

Our study method gives students a recipe for retained understanding across the curriculum. In our summer program, we teach students how to quickly get to the key points and ideas in texts from college courses in science, social science, and English.  We teach a note-taking and reading method that leads to retained understanding, prepares students to make the most of professor lectures, and identifies which concepts require further clarification. We teach students to easily prepare for exams without massive cram sessions.  Every attendee learns how to write the classic college research essay and how to build and support an argument in writing.

Efficient Study Methods Are of No Use if  You Cannot Plan, Review, and Hold Yourself Accountable to Goals and Responsibilities!

Balancing the demands of classwork deadlines, social life, self-care, and activities and internships takes skills that most new college students lack. If your child cannot show up to class on time, plan for tests and exams, turn in assignments by their due date, and ask for help when needed, then your child will struggle in college.  These crucial executive function and self-management abilities are critically under-developed in today’s college freshmen. Further, most students enroll in college without a detailed plan for using the undergraduate years as a stepping stone to future employment or admission to graduate school.  Choosing a good-fit major is an important step forward, but today’s competitive job and graduate school market expects more than just a good curriculum and solid grades. One needs strong extra-curriculars, internships, and study abroad experiences to be a good candidate for the jobs and graduate school programs that lead to prosperity.

Our module on life-management gives your son or daughter the skills to plan and review each week’s goals and obligations.  We teach a method of prioritized time-management planning and review so that students build a solid foundation of structure in their lives away from home. Weekly planning and tracking of assignments, projects, goals, and aspirations lead to consistent results and accountability. We teach students how to identify and maintain the routines, habits, and feelings that lead to healthy and productive results without Mom and Dad’s supportive hands. We help students develop a 4-year college blueprint that will lead to admission to graduate school or fruitful employment upon graduation. We show new college students how to interact with faculty and how to acquire guidance and assistance when help is needed.

This Summer Can Change Your Child’s College Experience

Your rising college freshman can bypass the struggles of the first years of college by enrolling in our summer program. With just a few hours of work this summer, he or she can be prepared for the challenges that college will bring, in and out of the classroom.

For more than 25 years, The Shumsky Center For Academic And Career Performance has prepared Houston-area children for lifetimes of success. Please give us a call today to enroll your child in the summer programs that will kick-start their performance in college. Call us today at 713-784-6610. Special programs are available for students with diagnosed learning disabilities and attention problems.