College Students Taking Remedial Courses

The article “College Students Journal” (University of Phoenix, March 2009) written by Leah P. Hollis is mainly about college students taking remedial courses at a four university. Many of the students taking remedial courses are ranging from ages eighteen to twenty-five. The reason college students are enrolled in these remedial courses because they are not meeting the requirements to manage college level English and Math courses. Therefore, developmental students lack confidence in themselves and tend to have a lower self-esteem than the peers around them. Furthermore, adults ages twenty-five and older generally face some type of trauma in their life and this, it affects their performance of how well they learn in these remedial courses. Many college students are require to take remedial courses for the reason that throughout their childhood years, many have not encounter any role models or the fact that their parents did not obtain a college education. In order to prevent developmental students from feeling insecure about themselves, academic advisors must guide students through the process of college requirements and give advice of how to be successful in college. Thus, to decrease the amount of developmental students is to find effective academic advisors and to provide students more advanced level work in high school in order for them to practice their skills in English and Mathematics. Academic advisors can help developmental students to feel less discouraged by self efficacy and sharing stories that many other college students still be able to succeed even if they taken remedial courses during their first year of college. This method will most definitely help developmental students since it will let them know that they are not the only one taking remedial classes. Another effective way academic advisors can help developmental students is by pointing out positive things while viewing the student’s academic record. Therefore, developmental students will most likely increase their confidence and self-esteem if academic advisors use this method. Academic advisors can also be prepared to face students that need counseling for academic or personal conflicts as well as building some kind of trust with them. In conclusion, academic advising would be an accommodating resource for developmental students and will make them feel less disheartened; while building their confidence and self-esteem as they continue their college education.