Arizbeth Cortez felt confident college would be just like high school and she’d ace all her classes. After all, she’d never received anything less than an A grade at Denver’s Bruce Randolph School.
On her first exam at the University of Northern Colorado, however, she got a B. It brought a flood of tears and worries that she didn’t have the skills to meet her expectations.
”I ended up with anxiety about exams because I didn’t know how to study very well,” said Cortez, 18, a freshman.
The challenge of college can be an eye opening experience for even the brightest student. But Cortez realized she didn’t know how to manage her time or know how to prepare for a test. They’re skills she missed while attending high school during the pandemic, when she took her classes virtually for more than a year, rarely had homework, and most of the tests she took were open book.
Cortez isn’t alone in her first semester struggles. College leaders have encountered many more freshmen like her this year – students who don’t have the base of skills that will make them successful in college. And they all agree about the cause: nearly five high school semesters upended by the pandemic, and less accountability placed on students because of it. Educators say students entering college today have fewer study and test-taking skills, such as simple tactics such as preparing note cards or the value of study groups. They’re less communicative with professors when they need extra time to complete assignments, have difficulty staying on task, and have fewer coping mechanisms when adversity strikes.
University of Northern Colorado administrators say they have had to double down on efforts to help freshmen succeed, teaching basic skills to help them adjust and navigate the new environment.
The gap between how prepared freshmen typically are for college and how this year’s class is performing surprised Stephanie Torrez, the university’s student academic success assistant vice president, who has spent more than 26 years in higher education.
”This is who students are now. It’s not what I’ve expected, even from my own children,” she said. “I have a freshman in college here and he’s not the person he was two years ago.”
The college has a few strategies to help, such as an increased emphasis for peer mentors, tutors and counselors to connect one-on-one with freshmen so they can figure out if they need on-campus resources. University leaders say they are optimistic a focus on individual needs will pay off. The retention rate for the Class of 2021 was the highest it’s been in the last decade, offering hope that the school is on the right track. But they realize that as more students come unprepared, the school might need to increase the number of mental health counselors and train more staff on how to help when students are struggling with classes or with their mental health.
Anxieties are showing up in lots of classes, faculty said. Students are disengaged and less motivated to attend events. College leaders know they have to meet students wherever they’re at to address those gaps, said Hollie Chessman, research director at the American Council on Education who studies student mental health and well-being. And students are heading to college after unique circumstances, she said.
Some schools have responded to the challenge by using federal relief money to increase mental health resources on campus. Others are using summer bridge programs to help students adjust to college life, Chessman said. Students are also more disruptive during class – talking during lectures or arriving late, Martell said. Students have also argued against a zero grade rather than do the work.
”Students kind of are struggling to have that awareness of accountability,” Martell said.
Still, now that the semester is wrapping up, some students are feeling more comfortable.Through one-on-one help, Cortez has learned how to study through repetition, and the value of note cards and color coding her notes. Staff encouraged her to get more involved with campus and provided a safe space for her to talk about what’s going on in her life.
”The program makes me feel like I am at home,” Cortez said.
• Jason Gonzales writes for Chalkbeat Colorado, which partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage.