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My office window overlooks the campus lawn and through it I can see students hurrying to classes, returning to dorm rooms, and heading to Chapel for morning worship. Part of my job in parent relations is to share this fine view from my window with Calvin parents. So here is a new weblog where I will attempt to do just that.
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The “two-for-one” rule

Sunday, September 24, 2006

By Jim Van Wingerden

Many bright and talented students attend Calvin College. I know that this is a gross understatement, but consider that in this new class of first-year students alone more than 60% began their Calvin career being awarded one of the college’s top scholarships (based on high school grades and test scores). That is an impressive statistic for any college.

In spite of this many first year students, even those who received a scholarship, will experience significant academic adjustments during their first semester. Many parents report that even though their student received very good grades in high school, Calvin academics require a lot more time and effort to maintain similar grades.

Because college students are actually in a classroom fewer hours each week than high school students, some arrive at an early (and false) conclusion that there is more “free” time in college. This is a common mistake. The sooner this misconception is exposed, however, the better. Putting off an ########## for a few days can quickly turn into a week or two. Suddenly it’s the middle of October and there is little time left to turn a ship around that is sailing in the wrong direction.

Parents have asked how to best coach their student as they adjust to this new academic environment. There are many ways to do this. Remain positive. Find opportunities to encourage your student. Let them know you believe they can be successful in college. Remind them of good time management strategies.

I also like to mention that students should know and follow the “two-for-one” rule. Simply stated the rule is this: for every one hour that a student is in class, he/she should be spending at least two hours of work outside of the classroom—reading textbook ###########, participating in study groups, organizing class notes, researching term papers, studying for quizzes or exams, and so on.