Too many students arrive on campus with unreasonably
high expectations of success, according to a study from the University of
Toronto. Students told researchers they would earn at least a 3.6 grade-point
average in first-year classes, but only averaged a 2.3 by the end of their
freshman year.
The study, which focused on the wide discrepancies in
college performance among students with similar high school records, found that
the group it classified as “thrivers” averaged A’s in college, while the
“divers” group averaged F’s despite receiving respectable grades in high
school. What researchers found was that divers were less likely to describe
themselves as organized and were more likely to cram for exams.
One trait that did stand out was the amount of time thrivers
spent studying. They arrived on campus ready to work, planning three additional
hours of study per week on average than their diver counterparts.
“Although
some are hobbled by their problems with procrastination and disorganization,
these same students clearly have potential,” Jeff Guo wrote of divers in his
Wonkblog post for The Washington Post. “They made it through high school just fine, after
all, but it seems that college demands far more of one’s ability to manage
chaos and temptation.”
