One month into Hopkins - too early to be worried?

[LillyP]

Hi, I talked to my daugther several times this past week and she didn't sound like she was doing too well. To start off, she got three of her tests back. One of which she did well, the 2nd one, she did ok (B range), and the 3rd one - to use her words, she did horrible (C-, I think). She is very worried about that C in her test. She said she really liked the class, and she felt she knew the materials. She also said that she had been studying very hard, and was depressed about getting a C. She is on pre-med track and felt that she just ruined her chance to have a decent GPA to be competitive to Medical School. I am wondering if any parents or current students can provide some insights on this. Is it unusual for students to not do so well (and in her case, I would say struggling) with their first tests during the first semester? If the student get a C in one of the tests, can he/she recover to have a decent grade at the end of the semester? Is the workload so impossible that only the very few can come out ok at the end?

On the extra-curricular front, she is also very discouraged by the "results" so far. She was very interested in two activities, applied, interviewed, but got the "I am sorry to tell you that you are not picked" email. She was a very active and engaged students in high school and she wants to be the same in college. One of the reasons she fell in love with Hopkins is the "opportunities" that she read and heard about. However, she is finding it not to be the case. To use her words: "it is so hard to find opportunities here. Everyone wants to do it and everyone is competing for the same thing". I read the postings in this forum and almost every one from the current students said there are so many opportunities, you just have to ask. Well, she did, she tried, and is having a tough time dealing with the rejections. Any insights? As a mom who is on the other side of the country (in CA), I am quite worried about our phone conversation with our daughter lately.

This post has been edited by LillyP on Oct 3 2009, 05:09 PM

[JHU_Mandy]

I'm a junior now and I can honestly say that I had my share of struggles freshman year. To start, one of the biggest adjustments is getting used to the grades--in high school, getting a B on an exam may have "just" been okay, but in many classes here, that's actually a very good grade. And I definitely got my share of below-average grades, despite putting in tons of work and effort. The best thing to do about the grade she's particularly upset about, in my opinion, would be to seek out advice from the professor or teaching assistant for the course. If she felt like she knew the material and had worked very hard, the professor or TA may be able to help identify some "missing piece" that she's not seeing on her own or they may suggest alternative study methods, etc. In my experience, this is a great way to sort through those kinds of frustrations, though it can be a bit difficult at first to try to set aside the emotions and have a neutral conversation.

It'll depend on each individual class, but in many cases, final grades are curved so that the average score is bumped up. Getting one C is definitely not the end of the world, especially if a student is able to identify the source of the problem and turn things around.

As for the extracurriculars, there are TONS of groups on campus that don't require any sort of interviews or things of that sort, so it may be a good starting place to drop in on some of their meetings to see what they're all about, and if she's interested and sticks with it, by the end of the year she could be running for an executive position in the club. I do know from experience how disheartening it can be to get one of those "Thanks for the interview but..." emails, however it's up to each student to make the most of their time here--there are plenty of other activities and there's always next year to try again with those other opportunities if she's still interested at that point.

As another note, resident advisors (RAs) can be a great source for struggling students in so many ways--whether it's to help them work through study habits, find their right fit in groups, or just to talk.

[JHU_Lori]

Hi Lilly - I agree with Mandy but thought you might also like a parent's perspective. It is definitely too early to worry - I know that won't stop you from worrying but I do want to try to ease your mind a bit. I am the parent of a junior. The first weeks and the first exams are an adjustment period. It takes a while to get to used to college and the first semester can sometimes seem daunting - particularly for students at a school like JHU where everyone was used to getting only A's in high school. It takes a bit of an adjustment just to understand that a B and even a C isn't the end of the world and is far from dooming her chances at medical school. She should not let this get her down or cause her to be frustrated and give up. She has a long way to go from here and plenty of time to make that C irrelevant either to her course grade or her overall GPA. She just needs to be proactive about figuring out what Mandy called the missing piece. My son had a few grades on exams or papers at the beginning that were disappointing, but rather than focusing on the negative, we encouraged him to figure out what he could do to make things better and let him work through this on his own and his grades have been great since (no not all As - that is virtually impossible in college, particularly one like Hopkins - but I can assure you that the workload is not so impossible that only a very few come out ok at the end - Hopkins has an incredible track record with professional and graduate schools who clearly understand the competitiveness of the program and the grading system. The best thing that you can do as a parent is to be supportive and not put additional pressure on her. Sometimes it isn't just a matter of knowing the material, but understanding exactly what the professor is looking for on an exam or getting comfortable with a different style of exam than she was used to in high school. So like Mandy said, your daughter should not be afraid to reach out to her professors and figure out what it is that she can do to improve. She should also talk to her friends and roommates - she is not the only one dealing with these issues at Hopkins and a support system is key. Encourage her to use all of the resources available to her at Hopkins to work through this.

As for extracurriculars, you should check out the bios on some of the students on Hopkins Interactive and you will see the vast array of activities in which they participate. There are also some forum threads on student life that might be informative - groups like Film Society, student newspapers, sororities and fraternities, theatre, improv comedy, community service, etc. I am sure that your daughter will find the right fit with her interests.

[JHU_Dominique]

Hi there!

I echo JHU_Mandy and JHU Lori's sentiments.

It's going to be a rough adjustment wherever you are for college. And because so many students here are amazing, sometimes it makes it even harder to adjust and to feel like you're accomplishing something. But we all can't get chosen for everything. And rejections are inevitable-- for everyone!

I look at it like this--because there are so many things to do here, everyone can't do the same thing, and not getting chosen for some things means that you must place your efforts elsewhere. Oftentimes these rejections are blessings in disguise because they force you to look for other opportunities you wouldn't have otherwise noticed.

I know it's hard though, especially if you're not used to it. Last year, I applied and interviewed for a leadership position in a club I reallllllllly liked and was already involved in, but I didn't get chosen and I could not understand why. After thinking about it for a couple of days, I went to the club adviser and asked what I could have done better, and he told me what to work on and what they were looking for. Now I know somethings that I did that I need not do in the future. It was tough but humbling. And yes, there are many many ( I would say most, unless you are talking about specific leadership roles) clubs that need no interview or application or anything.

And yes, grades. I thought I was doing poorly last year when I was a freshman but I realized that I was doing just fine and going at my own pace. If your daughter is unsure if her grades are on par, she can just ask the professor instead of her peers (if that's how she is judging her performance).

No need to worry. First semester freshman year is supposed to be an adjustment, and sounds like your daughter is doing just fine because she is trying her best and concerned about doing all that she can. =]

This post has been edited by JHU_Dominique on Oct 4 2009, 08:52 PM

[LillyP]

Hi Mandy, Lori, and Dominique,

Thanks so much for taking the time to provide your perspectives. I appreciate it and it made me feel better to know that what my daughter experienced so far is a bit typical about adjusting to college. I talked to her yesterday, and she sounded more upbeat. She was studying for another exam on Monday - and staying in her dorm on a friday night studying!!!

[JHU_Dominique]

No problem! No one starts college without some rough adjustment periods. Sounds like she is doing fine to me. It's a matter of getting acclimated to new surroundings and learning what to expect. =]

[JHU_Kate]

Hi, Lilly! I'm sorry this is such a belated reply, but I do want to say that as a senior pre-med student myself, Mandy, Lori, and Dominique all raised very good points with regards to academic adjustment. I also want to note that I've also experienced going into interviews for a few extracurricular organizations and getting rejected from them--and yes, it could be disheartening. There are, as it has already been mentioned, hundreds (literally!) of student organizations on campus--and speaking from personal experience, it's possible that with enough looking around, your daughter could actually find herself being heavily involved with extracurricular life. I do agree that with regards to both her academic and extracurricular life, your daughter will need to be proactive in figuring out how to achieve her goals--and I do agree that if she receives encouragement and support from you as her parent, it would be more helpful than you might ever imagine. I've found that communicating with my parents can be uplifting whenever I'm in a rut (and even whenever I'm not in a rut)! Anyway, it's good to read that your daughter has been more upbeat in speaking to you since your initial post on this thread--good luck to her as she continues her first semester here!

[JHU_Brian]

Hi Lilly,

I just wanted to chime in since I was in charge of new member recruitment for one of those groups that did have to turn down freshmen this year. If we would have accepted all of the new members who applied, we would have doubled the size of our group. So we had to be selective. Maybe pass this on to your daughter - it might not really be her, but just the limitations of what the group has to work with.

Also, I do know that we will be recruiting again in the spring semester.

Hope that helps,

Brian

[JHU_Daniel]

Hi! Sorry for the late reply -- ironically, midterms have had me busy.

I'm a first semester freshman. In high school, I never, never, never had to study for a thing; everything just seemed easy. Hopkins is a different story. I've had three midterms, studied for them all, and still made a C- on one of them (as well...). I didn't know about the curve on one, saw 70/170, nearly had a stroke.

Yes, a C- for me is a problem. But freshmen in their first semester have a wonderful thing going for them: covered grades. Unless a very unique class, none of this semester's classes will be computed into our college GPA and will simply be recorded as a U (unsatisfactory; below a C-) or S (C- or higher). This is to help us adjust to college life and the rigor of the academics here.

Glad to read things are improving, and I hope they continue to do so. They are for me.

[LillyP]

Hi Kate, Brian, and Daniel,

Many thanks for the additional inputs. I appreciate the different perspectives, esp. those from Daniel who is a freshman. My daughter is still adjusting, still has her ups and downs. I think for her, the biggest issue is self-doubt. My daughter came to Hopkins without a perfect 4.0 GPA or SAT (as a matter of fact, her SAT is only in the 2100's). When she found out that she was accepted at Hopkins (her first choice), she was extremely excited, but at the same time, also worried about whether she is "good" enough and be successful for a school like Hopkins. This is why when she didn't do as well in her recent exam despite putting in long hours of study, she once again began to wonder if she is indeed not right for Hopkins - that she is simply not good enough (both academically and extra-curricula-wise). It is helpful to hear perspectives from students and know that her struggles thus far are not as unique.

[JHU_Lori]

Lilly - sounds like things are going a bit better but you say your daughter is still having ups and downs. That is perfectly normal. But there is one thing that you said that I wanted to follow up on. A less than perfect GPA and SAT's scores - scores "only in the 2100s" - Your daughter is among the elite students in the country. You should be extremely proud of her as I am sure you are. If one reads sites like college confidential (and believe me I did and regretted it), you get the impression that every student who gets into a top 20 college has perfect grades and SAT scores - it is like the stepford teens. That just isn't reality - only in the 2100s and probably a mix of grades in tough AP courses that are not all A or A+. I am sure you realize that is still the top few percentage points of the nation. Look at the statistics on Hopkins or any similar schools - what they give is the range for the middle 50% (from 25% to 75%) - that means 25% of the class had lower scores and yes, 25% had higher - but your daughter's statistics sound like they put her right in the middle of the mid 50% - the sweet spot. I am very sympathetic to what you are going through because I think my son felt somewhat the same during his first few months at Hopkins - while thrilled that he got in, he was definitely feeling a bit uneasy about whether he could really compete at this level. You should read my parent blog (it is the first one - earliest date - on the archived parent blogs). It is natural to have doubts at this stage - but give it time and as I said before be supportive. It sounds like your daughter is just like every other freshman at Hopkins - and feel free to continue to reach out on the message boards if you have more questions.

[JHU_Kate]

Hi again, Lilly! Lori made a lot of good points. It's true that not every student at Hopkins starts college with "perfect" numbers from high school (although there are many students here who do)--and based on my observations, students' success at Hopkins don't always correlate with their high school GPAs or SAT scores. I've met some brainy individuals who had high GPAs in high school and/or high SAT scores and who are doing well in difficult classes here, but I've also met some people who had high numbers in high school but ended up struggling in their freshman year because they had poor study skills. I've even met someone whose SAT scores were below the average, but who did extremely well academically here at Hopkins because of hard work.

Just so you know, it's not uncommon for students here (not just as freshmen, but even as upperclassmen) to have periods of self-doubt from time to time. I suggest that maybe you continue talking to your daughter and encouraging her that as long as she puts in the work, she's capable of doing well here. Students aren't admitted here for no reason. She might need to reevaluate her study habits a little or look for additional help with her classes (e.g., going to her professors' and TAs' office hours more often, using the tutoring services offered through the Office of Academic Advising, or even joining productive study groups with her friends).

[JHU_Greco]

Hi, Lilly. I'm Greco and I'm a freshman (AND from California!)
Fortunately, I was able to get involved in activities that I wanted to be involved in, but I don't think this makes my college freshman life any way easier. Sure I get to interact with tons of amazing people on campus, but they are not the ones who tells me who I am and what path I should take for this whole new journey. I think there are a lot of issues that I need to take care of BY MYSELF in order to successfully carry on with my life in this whole new environment: I need to find out which study method fits me the most; I need to find out which study I'm interested in; I need to learn how to get along with professors; I need to learn how to balance work and fun. All of these, I think, are the things I should really be focusing on in this semester - and this semester is a GREAT time to do so since we freshmen get covered grades, thus less academic pressure. I'm still young (18, turning 19 in two weeks!) but my philosophy is that you can't really do anything successfully before you discover who you are and where you stand in this world. I'm trying to find our who I am as much as I can right now so I don't make bad decisions later in life when it actually matters. I totally understand your daughter and understand what you are going through. and maybe your daughter is doing worse than what she had told you (I sometimes do this so I don't make my mom worry too much). But I really do believe that I will eventually find a way to overcome this and make my own path instead of depending on the ones that someone has already provided. and I thinks this is what the freshmen experience is all about.
urgghhh I'm trying to be all insightful and all but it's a bit hard to explain and I hope you get what I'm trying to say..

[JHU_Daniel]

Ms Lily,

No problem for the input; I'm happy I can help.

I can appreciate her feelings of self-doubt. In high school, I was the 'know it all,' if you will. Here, I'm struggling to be middle-of-the road, which requires a lot of adjustment. I understand where your daughter's coming from: My ACT scores weren't stellar, and I had doubts of how well I could perform here (my hs was pretty easy). But you know what? After some time, I'm gettting better and I'm getting more used to the workload. Most importantly, I'm understanding what's expected of me.

I say this in all honesty: Admissions turns away a lot of people. It's no secret. 8 of ten are told no. Your daughter made it here -- past this process. Besides you, there's someone in admissions, here on campus, who believes in her, who thinks she can do it. We're all adjusting; things will work out.

[JHU_Jackie]

Just to put in my two cents. We've all been there. There are times when you are loaded with work and other times when it seems like you have a ton of free time. The key really is balance. I sometimes think it helps to write things down on a calender so you know when you are going to be faced with 3 midterms all out once or 2 huge papers. That being said, I think being involved on campus is also helpful. I know I work better the busier I am, and maybe the same would help your daughter. Hopkins has a great support system whether its applying for a tutor or just asking the friendly (and most likely incredibly smart) student sitting next to you in class. Adjusting is always difficult, but when you begin to see how things work and the way things operate life begins to get easier.

Hope this helps!