What is Academic Probation and How to Avoid It: Receiving a notice of academic probation can be a huge blow to a student’s confidence.
However, it can also have serious academic and financial consequences.
Fortunately, it doesn’t have to signal the end of your college career.
Today we shall look into what you need to know about academic probation and how to avoid it.
What does it mean to be on Academic Probation
Academic probation simply means that a student has not met a minimum threshold to be in good academic standing.
Academic probation results from failing grades and, therefore, acts as a red flag to put students back on track.
Experts, however, say this typically means below a 2.0-grade point average, though the grade number can vary by college and even by the specific program of study.
Students, however, continue to take classes during this period, but failing to show progress can result in an academic suspension.
This probation time may vary by school, although, it may be a semester or a year. Academic dismissal is the next step if a student is unable to turn around his or her grades while on probation.
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What happens in Academic Probation
Academic probation is moreover not a punishment, but a warning or wake-up call.
However, it can have some serious consequences, especially for those who don’t get back on track.
Students on academic probation suffer certain effects which may include:
Why Students Get Probation
The ways students can end up on academic probation are very numerous.
Recognizing common causes of academic probation can therefore help students avoid future slip-ups.
Skipping too many classes: Sometimes the freedom college affords gets the best of students. In college, parents don’t get notified if students skip class, and professors aren’t responsible for holding their students accountable.
Since some schools have automatic fail or grade-drop policies if students miss too many classes, skipping class can tank a GPA.
Enrolling in too many classes: Ambition and good intentions can turn sour when the workload proves to be too much, and grades begin to slip.
This, however, is true for freshmen who are unfamiliar with the amount of time they need to study for each class.
Stress, anxiety, or depression: Some groups of students noted that feeling stressed, depressed, or upset interfered with success. Therefore, can lead to academic probation just as often as not studying well.
Having too few credits: While students may be aware of GPA requirements, they may miss the requirement to complete a certain number of credits per semester.
Therefore, dropping a class mid-term can cause completed credits to dip below the minimum requirement.
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Disinterest in classes: This, however, comes as a result of the student’s mindset or personal feelings. Boring classes, although less fulfilling, are also a real part of college.
It’s hard to be motivated to put effort into a dull class, however, neglecting it can be risky. Especially if the course is a core requirement.
Although there are several other factors that can lead students to academic probation, these ones are the most common causes based on research.
How to Avoid It
Avoiding academic probation is quite easier than having to get out of probation. All a student simply needs to do is take note of the things that lead to probation and avoid them.
It is, therefore, important that students do any or all of the following.
If a student is able to make these things a school lifestyle, he or she is sure to cross no path with probation.
It would also boost the student’s academic and psychological well being therefore putting the student in the right state of mind.
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