Challenges and Opportunities for Underclassmen in 2021-22

Do you remember your freshman year??

I remember mine like it was yesterday, but it was not yesterday, and many facets of higher education look much different today than when I was starting the university experience. There was no Zoom, no devices in class, no webcam lectures, and no high-speed internet access from anywhere on campus.?

But some things never change. While we didn’t have Zoom or webcams, we had peers that were excited to meet and learn and professors anxious to help up. High-speed internet is convenient, but we learned a lot using the library and textbooks.?

And the most important thing that hasn’t changed is this: no matter who you are or where you came from, freshman year is an opportunity to learn—and be—anything you want.

As higher education approaches a year that will be full of uncertainties for many rising underclassmen, here are a few thoughts on potential challenges and opportunities that our newest campus arrivals might face.?

This year, in many ways, we have two freshman classes.?

Higher education was one of the many industries affected by the pandemic, and while administration, professors and students all rallied together to get the most out of a school year, there’s no denying that last year’s school year was not the same as most.

Because of this, in many ways, we effectively have two classes of freshmen. In other words, two classes of students will be experiencing a more “normal” class schedule for the first time.?

Beckie Supiano describes it best in an article for The Chronicle of Higher Education when she says, “Many of last year’s college first-year college students didn’t get the real ‘first-year’ experience—getting to know faculty, group projects, new friendships …so as the fall semester arrives, most colleges will in many ways have two sets of first-year students.?Finding the right place to study, classrooms and even joining student clubs—will be new for both first-year students and sophomores.?From a potential change in academic rigor to social interaction—both classes will need support from faculty and staff to succeed.”?

While she notes the problem well, she identifies the solution even better: faculty and staff need to support the true freshmen and rising sophomores as they are integrated into the college experience for the first time.?

What does that look like on your campus? From fortified student support services to staff more actively seeking feedback from students, this could take on several forms.

No matter what approach you take to help students and fellow staff on campus, it shouldbe centered around asking a very important question: what can we do for you?

Professors are used to being extra supportive

With remote classes largely changing the delivery of a college education in parts of 2020 and 2021, professors are doing more for their students to ensure as supportive of a learning environment as possible.

This can be both good and bad.

Of course, it is a great thing to have professors that care and goes out of their way to support students because of circumstances beyond anybody’s control.?

The problem is that reality could hit rising sophomores with surprising force if they aren’t ready. As Suspiano writes, “In their first year of college, rising sophomores have seen professors extend academic grace, so students haven’t had courses at their full intensity yet. At the same time, many have seen their study habits crumble, adding to the fear that they’re behind.”

A combination of expecting more grace from professors and a decline of study habits that have been dulled by the pandemic could spell trouble. No, it does not mean that all rising sophomores will be capsized by the rigor of in-classroom work, but it does mean we should expect an adjustment period with a bruised egos and opened eyes in the early weeks.?

High school students weren’t omitted, either

On the surface, it’s obvious to say that rising freshmen battled the same effects of COVID-19, but there is still a message to unpack.

Consider this: for many members of this particular class, their senior year was derailed by a pandemic that changed everything about how school had functioned over the last thirteen years of their lives, give or take.?

Now, following the most uncertain year of their academic experience, they’re diving into what is typically the most uncertain year of academic experience--freshman year of college, a year of new friends, less family, and more maturing than ever before.

What does that mean for these rising freshmen?

According to this report from Inside Higher Ed, it means less confidence. Nearly sixty percent of students surveyed said they felt at least “somewhat unprepared” for college life, while 23% of the total considered themself “very unprepared.”

Our freshmen might show up to campus with wobbly legs, so it is up to all university staff to show them they arrived for a reason: they are smart, capable, talented, and can thrive in a college lifestyle with the proper support.

Thoughts on moving forward

While this year will hopefully feel much closer to normal compared to the last two school years, we must collectively remember that there is no university life “normal” for our underclassmen since no standard has been set.

University staff must work with these students to create, learn, and implement new ideas for how the two parties can benefit each other. Making this happen will heavily rely on having a two-way street of communication, with information flowing both ways, so encourage an active dialog.

Some students might see a rough start to the semester, but scraping knees is a small price to pay for learning how to soar.?