It’s getting to be that time of the semester when all the work, tests and lack of babying is catching up to freshmen, and honestly everyone else too. This is the time when the first tests and papers are due and students start to stress about the difficult classes.
It’s interesting to look at the numbers for freshman retention at N.C . State and across the UNC System. As a student in education, we talk a lot about keeping students interested and doing well in their classes. What they learn in elementary, middle and especially high school can be applied to college. As citizens, everyone should take an interest in education and helping members of the younger generation accomplish their goals.
According to the UNC System, our University has a freshman retention rate of 97.4 percent for the first-to-second semester and a 90.9 percent retention rate of freshman-to-sophomore year.
In comparing our University’s retention rate to other UNC System schools, the freshman class that entered in 2008 ranks second behind our rivals of the light blue variety. They have a retention rate of 95.7 percent.
I know we compete with UNC-Chapel Hill in every other way; we might as well make freshman retention a competition and try to prove we are, in fact, better. However, with our high retention rate, it’s not saying too much. As a point of comparison, the average retention rate for the entire UNC System is 82.9 percent.
Although those numbers don’t seem too bad, only 45.3 percent of the freshman class returned to the University as a sophomore, with at least 30 credit hours and a minimum 2.0 GPA. 76.5 percent of the freshman who returned for their second year met the qualification of a minimum 2.0 GPA, but did not meet the requirement for at least 30 credit hours to be classified a sophomore.
Maybe it’s just the teacher in me coming out, but those numbers need to be improved. Somehow, someway, there is the opportunity to make those numbers much higher. As a University, we need to think about ways to help freshmen. What we do now to help freshmen could conceivably help our children in the future.
The freshman class of 2011 had 4,624 students who intended to enroll. The entire student population of the University is 34,376. That’s more than enough people to create a type of buddy system for new freshmen.
My younger brother is a freshman this year. We’ve created our own buddy system. Whenever he has a question about anything, he knows he can ask me, and I advise him to the best of my ability.
I completely understand all freshmen have advisers, but most of them seem to be over-burdened with advisees and classes, and most freshmen would be more comfortable with an upperclassmaqn to go to when they needed advice, or just someone to talk to.
With such a large population at the University, not every upperclassman would have to participate, but I feel like if there were enough students interested in such a program, we would have the manpower needed to make it work.
My younger brother is a freshman this year. We’ve created our own buddy system. Whenever he has a question about anything, he knows he can ask me, and I advise him to the best of my ability.
I completely understand all freshmen have advisers, but most of them seem to be over-burdened with advisees and classes, and most freshmen would be more comfortable with an upper classmen to go to when they needed advice, or just someone to talk to. With such a large population at the University, not every upperclassman would have to participate, but I feel like if there were enough students interested in such a program, we would have the manpower needed to make it work.
There are many plans available to assist freshmen. If a freshman lives on campus, he or she has to have a meal plan. Freshmen aren’t allowed to live off campus, unless circumstances allow it. Those requirements are intended to help with the transition to college and improve freshman retention, but I think a buddy system for freshmen and upper classmen would help the retention rate even more.