The Issues And Problems Faced By College Freshmen In The 1960s With The Issues And Problems Faced By College Freshmen In 2009

Each of the college years presents new issues as students develop academic and life skills. Parents will not always know precisely what problems their child is facing at any given time, but there are some common issues that most students experience at different points during their academic career.

Freshmen Issues

During 1960, students are more comfortable. They question themselves less about daily concerns. Nevertheless, students feel like they should have everything under control, but they know they don't(Luces, 48). All the excitement and challenge of the first year is gone, and the adrenaline rush of transition is missing. The traditional sophomore slump hits mid-year and lingers through the spring. The critical issues for sophomores involve academic complacency, personal and financial risk, and changing interests and goals.

Academic complacency —In 2009, students learned that they could get by with Bs and Cs. As sophomores, they are comfortable with average work. Sophomores usually are continuing to fulfill their general academic requirements, and they feel as if they are biding their time until they get into their major. The grades they earn this year, however, can make all the difference when they declare a major or apply for graduate school(Trigger, 24-26). Some selective upper division (junior and senior level) programs require a minimum grade point average during the first two years. Some slack may be allowed for freshman year adjustment, but students who are lax the second year can lose future opportunities.

Personal and financial risk — students of both Era often take risks that they didn't dare to attempt as freshmen and that they won't feel the need to take as juniors. Since most students are comfortable with their new campus surroundings by the end of their first-year, as sophomores they have now started traveling off campus to explore the Metro area. The excitement of their new endeavors can be a wonderful experience but can also lead to excessive spending. Sophomore year is when financial problems can compound, and when relationships get out of control.

Changing interests and goals — All the introductory courses students take during their first two years of college have a purpose. In addition to giving them a strong academic foundation, the courses provide a glimpse of the many different aspects within a single, broad subject. Sophomores are ripe for identifying their passion in life, and they still have the time to change their minds.

Perhaps the first difficulty sophomore will encounter is the substitution of the lecture for the class recitation to which sophomore were accustomed in high school. This substitution requires that sophomore develop a new technic of learning, for the mental processes involved in an oral recitation are different from those used in listening to a lecture. The lecture system implies that the lecturer has a fund of knowledge about a certain field and has organized this knowledge in a form that is not duplicated in the literature of the ...