ACADEMIC PROBATION:
This is the dreaded situation faced by many students every year. You have had a semester or two of poor grades. At the end of the semester you receive a letter from Academic Affairs telling you that you have been placed on Academic Probation. Feelings of failure, discouragement and confusion are only the beginning of the devastation that can be caused by this news. Certain questions are sure to come up: What am I going to tell my parents? Why did this happen? What can I do? Should I really be in university? Am I going to be able to graduate? It is important that you realize that there is help out there and that you can still turn things around.
Being placed on Academic Probation does not mean that you will be unable to graduate; many students who are placed on probation are able to turn things around and become very successful in their programs, but it does take dedication and effort. Being placed on academic probation is a clear indication that the efforts which you have been making towards your studies are not working. However, these are steps which you can take to turn this situation around.
The first stop for all students on academic probation should be the Sudent Success Office. It is very important that you make an appointment to meet with Matthew Holsapple as soon as possible (during the first weeks of the semester) to discuss what went wrong and to develop strategies to ensure that you are able to do better during the upcoming semester. This meeting will focus on how you have been approaching your academics and will vary depending on your individual academic needs. During this meeting the policy for academic probation will be explained and your own status and the steps you need to take to succeed will be made clear.
The next thing which you should do is to ensure that you are genuinely making every effort to bring your grades up. This will mean meeting with all your professors, even those whose classes you think you are doing fine in, repeatedly during the semester to ensure that you clearly understand your standing in each course. In classes that you find difficult this will mean working with a tutor or study group, taking advantage of your professor's office hours, and putting in extra study time.
Another important step which you will need to take is to set up regular appointments with your academic advisor throughout the semester. During these meetings you should be sure to discuss what steps you have been taking to improve your grades, and to made sure that you are making an effective use of your time. An important hint: Your advisor is sure to know a whole list of strategies you can use to improve your grades, ranging from time management to note taking.
This will take a lot of work on your part, but probation does not have to be the end of your academic career. The end of your academic career should be your graduation ceremony, and you can still make it!
Good Luck!
