Whether it is your first semester, your last semester or you’re somewhere in the middle, student success varies. The fall and spring semesters bring on new students each term but each semester has a different level of student success rate.
Most students begin the academic year in the fall. And, after summer vacation, students need a refresher on how to be a student again.
In the spring, many students have already experienced a semester of college and may exhibit a higher success rate because they are already in the swing of things.
According to Nazareth University, students display higher success rates the more amount of time they are involved in school. In the fall, students often need time to re-adjust from not being in school for months after summer break. If students also do not do well, they tend to lock-in and exhibit more effort during the spring semester.
Classes are available at Kirkwood year-round, offerings include in-person and online summer courses, both for the fall semester, online winter term classes, and both for the spring semester. Many students also have the mentality, “I will do better in the spring” if they do not succeed in the fall semester.
Although everyone’s success is different, time is a key factor. For many, the fall semester is a chance for students to test the waters of whether or not college will work out.
It may also be a chance for them to experience new life changes. If college does not work for them, the students who remain engaged from their first semester tend to have higher success rates. After experiencing the fall semester, students also have chances to reflect on what they liked and did not like. This pertains to any grade level of students enrolled in college.
For students who wait to start school in the spring, they may be more motivated during that time period due to the gap. Waiting to start school until the spring is also commonly associated with high success rates. When starting college for the first time, especially in the spring, students may feel more mentally prepared and ready to be engaged.
Liz is a second year Journalism and Mass Communications student who has been Creative Director and News Editor with the Communiqué. She also works at 88.3 KCCK as a Radio News Intern and the Corridor Business Journal as a Reporting Intern. After receiving her associate degree from Kirkwood, she will transfer to the University of Iowa with the 2+2 program. At Iowa, she will continue her journalism passions with the Daily Iowan newspaper and DITV. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree, she plans to work as a Multimedia Journalist and Reporter/News Anchor for KCCI in Des Moines or another station in Iowa.
Categories: Opinion
