Accepted to university! Now what?

You submitted university applications months ago and now you’ve read the sweet words, “We are pleased to offer you admissions for September 2018”. Your hard work has paid off and it’s official, you’re going to university. But now what? After prom has ended, after you’ve walked the halls of your high school for the final time, what should you be doing to prepare yourself for life’s next big step?

Whether you’re a straight A student in high school or someone who just met the cut off for university, there are a few things that you can do to increase the likelihood of your academic success from the get-go. Why should you be concerned about this now? Consider this quote from a Maclean’s article, which discusses the reality of what students in Canada can expect to encounter in their transition to university: “nearly half of all students surveyed saw their marks decline by one letter grade. About 23 per cent saw their grades plummet by two letters or more.”

Below are three tips that, if taken seriously, are an immense help to students who wish to avoid the pressure, anxiety, and uncertainty of the transition and join the small number of students who see their grades remain consistent or go up in undergraduate studies.

1. Get acquainted with the supports that will help you

In university, it is unlikely that you will have a professor or teaching assistant who will get to know you like your high school teachers. The nature of university is that you are in class far less than high school, but your workload is more. Don’t fall through the cracks. There are many support systems for you in university, but it is up to you to seek them out. To be clear, in university, there are many places to get help, but YOU have to find them.

Here are some resources I have spoken about in past posts:

The writing centre (every university has one!)Why office hours ought to be viewed as mandatoryThe importance of mentors

2. Don’t believe (harmful) misinformation that’s out there

After teaching hundreds of undergraduates, I understand that students exchange a lot of information and thoughts about professors, grades, courses, careers, and much more.

However, decisions about your academic success should consider expert or experienced advice, particularly from those who have successfully navigated the path you are on.

From my experience, there is a lot of misinformation out there about grades and what will make you a successful undergrad. Below are some of the myths that I have written about previously, which will help you make decisions about your academic life with more confidence and accuracy:

Do bird courses really exist?How grading in university differs from high schoolIs the “right” answer going to get you grades in university?“Work harder!” is terrible advice3 common grade-killing ideas about writing

3. Consider a university prep programme

Ultimately, university will require you to adapt your high-school-level strategies to ones that are more appropriately suited for university. Your high school teachers have helped you to meet the competencies for the secondary school curriculum, but there is a big gap between this and the expectations of your soon-to-be professors.

Without having the experience of going to university, it’s hard for you to truly grasp these expectations. Trust me, an A in high school IS NOT an A in university.

This is why the students of the BridgesEDU university prep sessions have been successful at elevating their grades. The programme not only teaches you the expectations of professors from someone who has had experience in this role, but it also shows you how to meet and exceed those expectations. Wouldn’t you want to know this information before you dive into the financial and academic pressures of university life? If so, feel free to contact me.

For Parents & Students: 3 Common Grade-Killing Ideas Students Have About Writing

Writing is one of the most important skills needed to succeed in university. Period.

At the same time, it is one of the skills that students struggle with most. Why is this the case?

There are some concerning trends that I have recognized in my work with high school and undergraduate students. If I were a student, I would definitely want to know this information. If I were a parent, I would be even more invested in reading the material below.

While not universal, there is a significant(!) gap in the standards set by high schools and those of undergraduate professors. In many cases, what I have seen pass for an A at the grade 12 high school level would maybe get a C in a first-year course. On more than a few occasions, I have read papers that received a grade in the high 80s in high school that I am quite confident would be in the mid-50s in university (by any professor’s measurement).

What is revealed by these observations is that our two educational systems do a poor job of speaking to one another. Unfortunately, the huge crack between high schools and universities is very easy for you or your child to fall into. Personally, I have seen way too many students gobbled up by this chasm.

Of note are three common ideas that I have heard from students in the midst of the high school to university transition, which ultimately hinder success at the undergraduate level. My “Writing at a University Level” course shows students how to avoid these common mistakes, however, most students and parents only come to me after reality has hit and grades have become permanent fixtures on academic records. Hopefully, a recognition of these widespread obstacles can help you or your child avoid this trap entirely.

An Essay Must Have 5 Paragraphs

This is the most common myth that prevents students from doing well on their university papers, particularly longer-length papers.

It is important for students to know that the five paragraph essay is merely an introduction to writing essays; a tool that primary and secondary school teachers use to show students the most basic components of an argumentative essay.

Can an essay have more than five paragraphs? Yes! In fact, if a paper is longer than three or four pages, it ought to.

On countless occasions, I have read essays that have three or four page paragraphs. To a reader, this is very confusing and it probably does not convey the message that a student wishes to.

What you need to know about writing an essay is that you must have an argument and each paragraph should contain one idea that supports your argument (also known as a thesis). This means that you do not have to limit your paper to only five. Instead, focus on proving your argument with complete paragraphs that each contain one developed idea.

An “Argument” Merely Summarizes the Political, Social, and Economic Aspects of a Topic

You’ll note that I have used quotation marks in this subheading to insinuate a double meaning.

An essay, no matter what the topic, needs to present an argument. It’s what essays do. An argument that describes the political, social, and economic aspects of a topic, which I have seen on countless occasions, is actually not an argument at all.

An argument must present a position. Beyond this, it must analyze, rather than describe, whatever topic you are writing about (for more on the distinction between analysis and description, see my previous post). If your essay road map is simply describing various aspects of your topic, without relating it to your argument, I promise that you or your child will be disappointed with the grade.

“My grammar is bad, but are my ideas good?”

When I have returned papers to undergraduate students with comments highlighting their poor grammar and sentence construction, I have often been asked, “yes, but are my ideas good?”

The importance of good grammar, concise sentence structure, and clear paragraphs cannot be overstated. Keep in mind that when your professor is reading your paper, you will not be hovering behind them with the ability to clarify what you meant to say in each sentence. Your ideas will be conveyed as they are written. Therefore, poor grammar = a poor idea (which is how it will be seen by your professor). To highlight what I mean, let’s consider the following example:

Environmental policies and tendencies need to be heightened in order to effectively transcend current practices that are leading to harmful outcomes that consequently arise from climate change.

Or

Environmental policies need to be stricter in order to prevent harmful outcomes associated with climate change.

Do you see how the expression of an idea changes the clarity of the idea? Both sentences express something important, however, the message is lost in the first scenario because the author makes too many grammatical mistakes.

The key takeaway is that your ideas don’t matter if they are expressed poorly.

If you would like to know more about how to write A-level undergraduate papers, reach out to me for afree consultation about my courses.

How “Right vs. Wrong” Hurts Students: One Important Difference Between High School and University

Did I make the right points?

How many points do I need for full marks?

Is this the right answer?

These are questions that I have heard countless times from students and I completely understand why. When you’re being graded by someone, it’s natural that you would want to know if your answers are “right”.

But, have you ever thought that the quest for the right answer would hinder your ability to succeed in university? Well, it does.

In order for you to understand why thinking of your work on a right versus wrong spectrum might actually be hurting you, you have to understand what is expected of you in university and how your professors will be grading you (specifically in the social sciences and humanities). Beyond this, it will also help if you know how grading differs between high school and university.

Description vs. Analysis

One of the key differences between grading in high school and university is the huge distinction between descriptive and analytical thinking.

On a high school exam, for example, you may be asked to identify and describe a term for 5 marks. In most cases, if you’re able to include 5 facts from your class lesson or textbook, you’ll get 100%. All this requires you to do is study and memorize curriculum material. The better that you are able to describe what you read, the better your grade will be.

Grading in university is different and this is a point that many students realize, but never understand. The same kind of answer in the above example would, at best, get you a C or C+ on a university exam. This is where students encounter a major problem. Put simply, all of your training has led you to produce work that is not going to get you a strong grade in university. So what is your professor looking for then?

The answer is analysis. For you to get into the B or A range in university, you have to display analytical thinking. Essentially, professors look for you to assess the logic and credibility of arguments, challenge assumptions, and formulate rational answers to questions. This goes well beyond just describing something.

For example, in returning to the scenario above, you would need to accompany your 5 descriptive points on an undergraduate-level exam with more reflection. Every question is different, but you may want to comment on the limits of our understanding of the concept, the broader implications, or even interrogate the traditional understanding of that topic (for more on how to do this you’ll have to sign up for one of my courses).

To get to a better grade, you have to show a rich understanding of class material. This starts with knowing the difference between descriptive and analytical thinking.

Defensible vs. Indefensible

In university, there is no right and wrong. Rather, there is defensible and indefensible.

When grading your work, your professors will not be looking for a predetermined answer. They will be looking for critical thinking and your ability to speak about themes and concepts in an informed way.

Rather than assessing how “right” or “wrong” you are, professors assess your work for how credible and logical it is. This is an important distinction. Instead of producing a specific answer, your concentration should be focused on forming a position that is supported by evidence and reason.

Following from this, maintaining a spectrum of right and wrong may be an obstacle to your success in university. Instead, I encourage you to focus on producing answers that are defensible. If you want to maintain that A average from high school, this should definitely be one of your goals.

The Good and Bad of “I’ll figure it out on my own”

Imagine, you’re sitting in an undergraduate class and your professor starts returning graded papers. You anxiously turn to the final page to see how you did. Under a paragraph of comments you see a grade that disappoints you; “Ugh!”

Now, let’s go back in time to when you were working on the paper. Your parents offered to read your work, but you declined. Your friend said they would give you feedback on your introduction, but you said no thanks. Your professor offered to read a first draft, but you didn’t take advantage of the opportunity. Maybe you thought to yourself, “I don’t need help, I’ll figure it out on my own.”

While teaching many undergraduate students, I saw the double-edged sword of students trying to figure things out on their own. On the one hand, this mentality is seen to be respectable, a sign of independence and perseverance. On the other hand, it is a mentality that can prevent students from taking advantage of opportunities to advance their skills and, most importantly, their grades.

The difference between help and mentorship

As an undergraduate, you’ll have a lot to figure out. The academic expectations you’ll face will be vastly different than high school. What you need to know is that seeking mentorship and the appropriate guidance to get a better grasp of your professors’ expectations is not a sign of weakness or ineptitude, it’s in your best interest.

If you’re seeking to improve your academic skills, you need to get beyond the idea that asking for feedback or guidance is somehow a sign of incompetence; it’s not. Asking for help in a remedial sense is completely different than seeking guidance in a constructive way. Finding the proper mentorship means that you’re interested in getting better, refining your skills, and understanding the methods that will make you successful in your current and future work—it does not mean that you are unable to meet university expectations. Seeking help after you’ve recognized a problem is a reactive measure. This is very different than getting informed guidance in a proactive fashion.

Guidance and mentorship illuminates the path in front of you

Wouldn’t it be great to understand the exact expectations of your professor before you hand in your work?

Don’t let the pride of thinking you must figure everything out on your own prevent you from learning valuable lessons before you’re graded. Seek out feedback from resources that are readily available to you. Office hours, your university’s writing centre, or even people within your personal network can offer you constructive commentary to get you going in the right direction.

When someone who actually knows how to do well in university provides you with guidance that can help you advance your skills, it’s similar to someone providing you with a GPS system for a long road trip to somewhere you have never been. The GPS knows the road ahead and it knows how to guide you in a way that avoids dangerous shortcuts or long and redundant detours. Essentially, it empowers you to successfully get to your end goal in an informed way. This is similar to what mentorship can do for you.

Who should you seek guidance from?

After giving the same advice to many students, some have returned to tell me that the person they sought out for guidance was not very helpful. Unfortunately, this happens frequently. However, this shouldn’t deter you. If a professor, teaching assistant, or another mentor views helping you as a burden on their time, then find someone else who actually wants to help.

Also, exercise care in who you choose to ask about your work and your future. Just because someone has some experience with university or in the professional field you want to enter, it does not make them an expert. Be diligent and ask questions to ensure that the person from who you are seeking mentorship possesses the values and experience that you wish to learn from.

Finally …

Remember that the mindset of “I’ll do it on my own” can be both positive and negative. While it’s great for a student to be driven by a desire to independently find methods to success, there is a point where not seeking guidance is a hindrance to progress. From my experience, the best students are thirsty to learn from the experience of others. If you’d like to learn about how BridgesEDU can provide you with the proper mentorship for success in university, please feel free to reach out. I’d be happy to have a conversation with you.

For Parents: Studies on the Transition to University

In the summer of 2014 I attended a dinner with professors from across Southern Ontario. The crowd was diverse in expertise and in years of teaching. In small groups, the organizers of the event asked us to consider and discuss some questions about research and teaching. When we spoke about themes related to teaching undergraduates, I was surprised at the predominance of one nearly unanimous concern, poor pre-university preparation. At one point, the small groups were asked to share parts of their discussion. Again, I saw a very clear common thread: tenured, non-tenured, and contract faculty overwhelmingly agreed that students were not coming to university sufficiently prepared.

While this may not be a new revelation for you, it’s something that more parents should be aware of.

The literature on the subject echoes my experience and it is important for parents to understand the implications of this trend. In the list below, I have outlined five online resources related to the transition to university. The list includes academic studies, independent research projects, and articles from mainstream media. I have also included brief summaries. If you wish to learn how BridgesEDU can help your child overcome the most common hurdles for undergraduates, please reach out to us at info@bridgesedu.com.

1. Jerema, Carson. “Your grades will drop: How universities and high schools are setting students up for disappointment.” , July 8, 2010.

This article covers various financial and psychological implications of declining grades in university. Among other important insights, the author notes that “the best evidence we have suggests that it is the highest achieving students that are most at risk for being disappointed in university.”

2. Cossy, Lisa. “Transition and Thriving in University: A Grounded Theory of the Transition Experiences and Conceptions of Thriving of a Selection of Undergraduate Students at Western University.” PhD diss., Western University, 2014.

This resource is a dissertation produced at Western University. The study employs interviews of students and faculty from Western University and, among other conclusions, argues, “The substantive theory generated from the data explains that students enter university with inadequate skills, and with inaccurate knowledge and expectations about university life” (pg. ii). Excerpts from interviews with students are revealing and illuminate how students feel about meeting heightened academic expectations in university.

3. Academica Group (2016). Transitions in Postsecondary Education: StudentVu Transitions Survey Results. Toronto: Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario.

This study looks at student experiences in transitioning into, through, and out of university. Meeting the heightened expectations of university is a very pervasive theme. As the report states, “A third challenging area for students was adapting to the new life and academic expectations of PSE [post-secondary education]. These were in fact the most commonly selected greatest obstacles to the transition into PSE, with many struggling to adapt to living away from home (19%) and having difficulty meeting academic expectations related to workload and grades (16%).” Additionally, 54% of the studies respondents “felt barely or not at all supported by their secondary school in developing the necessary stress and health management skills for PSE.”

4. Kruisselbrink Flatt, Alicia. “A Suffering Generation: Six factors contributing to the mental health crisis in North American higher education.” Volume 16, Number 1 (Winter 2013).

Discussions related to mental health on Canadian campuses have become increasingly common. As research shows, the number of university students struggling with mental health issues is on the rise. This academic article addresses the growing concern and outlines six factors that contribute to “the mental health crisis” in universities across North America.

5. Chen, Xianglei and C. Dennis Carroll. U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, 2005.

This American based study compares first-generation students (those who are the first in their family to attend post-secondary education) with students whose parents attended university. The research shows that, “first-generation students consistently remained at a disadvantage after entering postsecondary education” (pg. ix). The research and charts used to support this argument offer interesting comparisons and insights.

Tips for Success in Online Learning

You may be one of the increasing number of students who is pursuing a college degree online. If so, follow these tips to help you be a successful online learner.

1. Do not presume. Many students assume that online classes require less work and are easier than traditional classes. In reality, online classes are designed to be just as rigorous and demanding as traditional courses. Be prepared to do a minimum of six hours of work a week in an online course - and that's a modest estimate. Some weeks and some entire classes will require far more than that, especially during the weeks of finals and midterms.

2. Pay attention to the course learning objectives. Every course has learning objectives. Don’t ignore these objectives. Course objectives are carefully crafted and they are the foundations around which a well-designed course is built. Lectures, activities, written assignments, discussion boards, and tests - in fact, everything in a course-flow from the objectives. If you understand the course objectives, you will understand what is expected of you in all aspects of the class and will understand the criteria upon which your grades will be based.

3. Read and practice everything. Go through every screen in a course, not just the graded assignments. Don’t run through a course skipping videos, animations, and ungraded self-assessment activities. Your instructor designed the course to help you achieve its learning objectives. Even if something doesn’t have a grade attached to it, know that it is there to provide supplemental learning opportunities to better prepare you for graded assignments and exams.

4. Be sure you have the required software and hardware. These requirements are usually specified somewhere in the course-usually in the syllabus or course introduction section. You may not be able to turn in papers, view videos, or participate in groups if you don’t have the proper technology. Making sure that you have the proper Internet connection, spyware, and software programs installed is essential to your online learning success. Don’t let a piece of software or hardware prevent you from achieving learning objectives.

5. Be open to new ways of learning. Students learn in different ways, and instructors often use a variety of strategies to appeal to a wide variety of learning styles. Give animations, videos, and audio files a try, even if they seem different from what you’re used to. Well-designed courses use technology to enhance learning, so be open to it.

6. Be comfortable communicating through text. Most communication in an online course occurs through the written word. Discussion board posts, written assignments, and email are all common modes of communication in online courses. This is different from traditional classes, where a lot of communication is oral. Be prepared to read and write a lot in online courses.

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