Academic Success Center

Midterm grades are up (and in case you weren’t aware, you’ll find yours at your plus.hope account). So now what?

First, if you’re a new student, be aware that these grades are not “official.” Unlike some high schools’ first- or third-quarter grades, they will not factor into your final semester grades or appear on your transcript in any way. In fact, at some point, they will mysteriously disappear altogether.

Second, they may simply reflect how you already know you are doing in your classes, and if that’s “well,” well, you just got affirmed! But if not so well, now you know your profs agree, and you need to get moving.

Midterm grades can cue you to head off

oblivious non-performance at the pass.

Third, they may surprise you. If positively, congrats! But if negatively, now you know you need to check in with your profs to find out what’s going on (though maybe re-read your syllabi first, in case the answers are amazingly there!). Midterm grades can cue you to head off oblivious non-performance at the pass. And usually it’s not too late to do so. So DO so!

By the way, professors truly want their students to succeed, and it’s even in their job description to help. Yes, it might feel intimidating, but set up a meeting with them to discuss how you can get yourself back on track. It will also be good PR and make the next time seem less scary. (Guaranteed, there will be next times!)

Here are a few more next steps to try:

► If you haven’t been, start going to every class, F2F or virtually, like it’s your job, which it is!

► Get organized, and manage your time. Get help with this if you need to, like from a peer academic coach, which you can arrange through the Academic Success Center.

► Turn in all assignments, no matter what. If you don’t understand one, ask—a friend, a classmate, the T.A., your tutor, your prof, your astrophysicist aunt. One of the main reasons why students procrastinate on homework is that they don’t understand what they’re supposed to do. Find out, and do. (Another reason is that they’re not particularly interested, for which there are also solutions. Ask.)

► Look into the various kinds of FREE help you can receive through the Academic Success Center, including course-content tutoring, group study for certain subjects, peer academic coaching, study-skills tutoring, and student resources you can use all on your own and are clickable at the ASC website. And if you don’t know what you need or where to start, just email asc@hope.edu, and we’ll answer your questions.

If doing well in college matters to you, there ARE ways to help yourself do it. Ask.