Barrier 7: Personal Attitudes about College
By Dr. Kimberly Van Horne, Ed.D.
(Quotes by students: M=Male F= Female)
Many students begin college with the attitude that it is not much different from high school. Some have even said that it is just like high school, only students are allowed to smoke, and no one cares if students go to class. In reality, college is very different from high school. Poor attitudes about college can be a barrier to success. Students shared some personal attitudes about college that created college barriers while attending BC. The attitudes included lack of motivation, apathy, immature thinking, low self-expectations, and falling prey to outside influences that interfered with their academic goals.
- “I guess like the first two semesters here I was like whatever with it, and I didn’t pass a lot of my classes” (F).
- “I used to always wait to the last minute. Maybe it was the peer pressure from my friends” (F).
- “As the semester was going, I just blew the math class, and I just didn’t take it serious” (M).
Overcoming Barrier 7: Changing Personal Attitudes about College
Students shared several strategies that were useful for changing personal attitudes that created barriers to academic success at BC. The strategies included (a) self-reflecting (b) trying harder to succeed, and (c) understanding the advantages of starting projects early.
“I had to find out the things that were holding me back. Like in my family, procrastinating is one of the major issues in my family” (M).
- “I just tried my best. That’s the only thing I could do is try my best and see if I pass the class” (M).
- “I said, ‘You know what, I’ve got to stop procrastinating. I’ve got to stop putting this stuff off.’ I’m not going to do it because if I do it as it comes it’s so much easier, and then I see a sense of relaxation’ ” (F).
- “Now I just self motivate and know that I don’t want to be in school forever” (M).