During our daughter’s first semester at A&M, we didn’t anticipate the new struggles she would encounter as she transitioned into college life. She began facing challenges in areas that previously came easily to her. She had always performed well in school and wasn’t accustomed to spending much time studying. When college began, she found herself underperforming in her classes and unsure of how to respond. It was a new challenge both for her and us.
To be honest, her first semester was awful. Her grades reflected it. She didn’t have any studying or time management skills, and she didn’t know how tutoring worked. The end of a relationship with her boyfriend was just the icing on top. She was depressed, lost all confidence in herself, lost weight, and ended up on probation in her sorority because of her grades. These failures embarrassed and humiliated her. At times during her first semester, the prospect of a successful college career seemed out of reach.
Later, it became clear that failure is an unavoidable, even necessary, part of college life. Instead of hoping my daughter wouldn’t have to face any challenges, I realized it was more important to ensure she was ready to respond with resilience when difficulties arrived. She didn’t enter her second semester with all of her problems resolved, but she was learning how to study, manage her time, and use tutoring and professors’ office hours to her advantage. She had a successful academic recovery after changing her major a few times, graduating with a 3.5 GPA overall and a 4.0 in her selected major.
Every Aggie will face setbacks and challenges during their time at A&M. As family members, it’s often surprising and upsetting to see the struggles our students encounter as they proceed through college, but even these difficulties can be opportunities for learning and growth. By giving our students a chance to express how they feel in the midst of failure, then reminding them of their larger goals when they’re ready to move forward, we can help them become individuals who consistently work toward success—even when the next challenge arrives.