open letter to people starting college this fall.

[bamagal62]

5. Instead of writing a long letter.

Why not discuss it with the class in person? Will they read it? Maybe? But, if you actually speak with them and have a dialog about it then maybe they will listen.
I find the freshman seem to get a lot of support, but they are also drinking from a fire hydrant and just trying to find where to get food. Then, sophomore year comes and the faculty and the school just drop them like hot potatoes. The support seems to stop. And, they don’t remember all those long letters you asked them to read when they were a freshman.

I’ve had 2 kids go through college in the past 7 years (one is a junior) and I’ve found the professors don’t really reach out to their students. So, I put a bit of the blame on the teachers. They are dealing with a lot of pressures and we are throwing them into high stress environments and then, in addition, asking them to work in the summers (internships). They hardly have a chance to breathe. My kids attend(ed) a very challenging school with very little room for a social life. Be a hard-ass if you want to. But have some understanding and compassion too.

And, don’t forget the sophomores. They still aren’t sure what they’re doing.