my nephew started college..and...

[skooooo]

I called him this evening and asked how school was going.

he was at the bowling alley waiting for friends when I called. the night before he had had a pizza party with his friends until 3:00.

Anyway, his reply was that school was "ok," but that he wish his performance was better.
He says he may have to cut back at work.

:eyes:

I mention something about how he needs to manage his time now and prepare for class.

He says he will "try."

:eyes:

Anyone have any ideas on how to motivate this young man????

[KitchenWitch]

1. Bad midterm grades might take care of that for him

Nothing like doing badly at midterms to stoke a fire under one's ass.

[skooooo]

3. if he'd just develop some decent habits...

Honestly, it's not that hard.

I can't do it for him, I know. Just wish I could get through to him and save him the drama.

[ThomCat]

2. Make him work a strictly scheduled part time job so that he can't stay up until

stay up until the butt-crack-of-dawn anymore anyway. One he has to be awake reasonable hours his school habits will probably improve a bit on their own.

The trick is that he can't have a job where he makes his own schedule. It has to be a job where his hours are set for him or are always the same.

[skooooo]

5. i have no control over that

[unsavedtrash]

4. I think it will take mid-term grades to wake him up.

Maybe he will put the two together. I work at an academic library and often see little light bulbs go off over freshmen's heads around that time.

[skooooo]

6. That's true..I forget that midterms..

..are a big deal for college freshmen. Plus schools are a lot more hands-on at retention. He'll probably catch on....

:eyes:

[Droopy]

7. Poor grades for the quarter/semester might motivate him

When I was 31 I was staying in a dorm with a bunch of 18 year olds. I would often been awakened in the wee hours of the morning by guys playing with squirt guns out in the hall. On a week night. There was also an awful lot of beer on my floor considering only a couple of people were old enough to buy it. Not many of them were actually taking their schooling seriously.

I've been going to college off and on since I was 19. After highschool I worked in a factory as a general laborer for a year. It really made me appreciate a college education. I haven't managed to get my degree yet, but I will some day.

On edit: I was replying atg the same time as everyone else. Didn't mean to be redundant with my subject line.

[skooooo]

8. thanks..and good luck to you

I'm sure you're right.

I'm glad he's interested in going. He's young and will have to go through some maturing process like we almost all (ahem)
do /did.

[boilerbabe]

9. Tell him that it is a good time to manage his time or wind up like..

The rest of us. Not that this will work...Does he want to wait 30 years to get his shit together? He's on the right track, why not just go with it. Don't follow my example and take so much time!!

[margotb822]

10. Is he paying for it?

If it's his money, he might be more apt to care. It could just be a freshman thing though.

[skooooo]

11. nope...not paying for it.

[Midlodemocrat]

12. Well, if it were my child.

I would establish that I would be expecting some ROI. If my daughter was spending all her time partying and her grades reflected that, I would be hard pressed to pay for a second semester.

She knows that she is expected to perform. She will be graduating without any loans, so it is the least she can do and we expect her to do as well as she can.