Why Do Good Students Do Bad In College?
For this discussion question, take the notes that you generated with the Thinkwell article, and respond to it. What kind of student are you? Why do you categorize yourself that way? Do you believe that the Thinkwell model is an effective rule-of-thumb (a.k.a., a “heuristic”) for categorizing new college students?
Once you have written a paragraph about that, go here — https://www.thelearnwellprojects.com/resources/.
Look at the Thinkwell-Learnwell diagram (the first orange one). Look on the right side and read the Learning Outcomes from top to bottom. Write a paragraph in response to this chart. What does it mean to you? Does it feel familiar or alien? Do those look familiar to you? Can you do these things? Can you do them in a self-directed manner without being prompted? By the way, if the answer is no to any of these questions, that’s fine–it’s why you are here. But these are critical skills for learning new information and knowledge and you will have to become very familiar with this process.
Why are we looking at this stuff, anyway?
In this class, we aren’t just learning how to write better. In fact, that is like the most basic version of what we are doing, which is really to learn how to think through writing. To learn how to create knowledge through the process of searching for, organizing, combining, and recombining information with our own ideas is the essence of creating knowledge. And it is a skill so fundamentally important to sharing your vision with the world that we are focusing on it all semester.
Directions
Write two paragraphs, the first about your response to the article referenced above. The second in response to the chart on the Thinkwell website.
Grading
This is class discussion work for our online course. Please post your response as a comment. These are due by Sunday at 11:59 p.m. during the Week they are assigned, making this one is due 8/30/20. A complete response is worth up to 15 points.
Iâm the type of student that make sure that I organize my work in a way that I can do it so my best potential and still have time to look it over. I also make sure I have someone else to look over my work before I handed in whether itâs a homework assignment, a project, or an essay because sometimes I miss certain things that other people might catch and help me fix it so that my work is at least close to being completely grammatically correct. But also as a student I do have a problem with procrastination for the simple fact that I tend to do things that I know is easier first and get stuck doing the hardest things last and having so much trouble that I donât end up submitting it until the day of. So itâs like I have good organization skills but I have really bad time management skills so as a student I could do really good on my assignments but if I donât hand them in on time Iâm not gonna get that full credit for it. This is why I can either pass a class with a high grade or fail a class with a low grade there is really no in between.
When I look at the ThinkWell diagram I see how it is trying to help students be able to turn their weakest skills into their stronger skills. The diagram can be very helpful because itâs helping breakdown things to help students make sure that they have all the key points in their work kind of like a rubric. Some people might find this diagram more helpful but I wouldnât use it because things like rubrics make things more stressful for me because I tend to just try and put all the information I need and throw it into an assignment making it unorganized and confusing. Itâs like I donât make the assignment flow because Iâm worried more about all the content being there and not trying for it to make actual sense to the person reading it.
I am the kind of student who likes to get thier work done. I am also a procrastinator who likes to stress out last minute about assignments. There are times where I wish, I wasn’t a procrastinator because this would allow me to get more done. I expect myself to do good in school and because of that I always try to do my best pn assignments. I categorize myself as this type of student because I care about my education but I also know that my family comes first. I am a hard worker because over the years, I learned that it is easier to get the work done than to not do it and fail. Thinkwell model is awesome way to show new students the different categories and where they are based on the categories. It’s helpful that college students know what area in school to improve in and in return they would get better grades. The Thinkwell model allows teachers to know what type of quality to epect from your work.
Looking at the Thinkwell DIagram makes it seem like a rubric that would describe how to get a good grade. This rubris means alot to me because it let’s me know what teachers expect to me. This rubric is familiar because I’ve seen this type of rubric in school. Personally, I think I can acheieve these things because they are pretty straight fowarded. For some people, this diagram might not work for them because not everyone can achieve each row.
The kind of student that I consider myself is a person who likes to get things done but still likes to have fun. I am also a student who tries not to give and try to not get stressed but optimistic. However, I am also a procrastinator which I donât like to be like and am trying to not be a procrastinator because if I wasnât I would get so many things done. I have high expectations for myself in any other class but english because I always donât do well in english. In addition, I categorize myself like this type of student because yes I think education is important but I also care about how I am doing as a person. I think that the Thinkwell model is an effective rule of thumb because there are different categories and you can see where you’re at according to the Thinkwell model. Also, it is very helpful for college students to see where or in what areas they change or improve to better themselves. To add on, the Thinkwell model shows what teachers expect from your work that it is not about quantity but quality.
When I look at the Thinkwell diagram I see that it is a good comparison between how good your thinking skills are to money. To add on, I see how higher thinking skills or the better writing skills you have your outcome valuation is higher. This does look familiar to me because it looks like a rubric that I used in highschool for english class but this Thinkwell model is more in- depth on what things are expected from us. I can do some of these things like compare and contrast information, able to discern nuances of information, and to make judgements about information. Some things that I wouldnât be able to do is to analyze, to introduce, develop a viewpoint, and others. Finally, I cannot do these self directed manner without being prompted because I need someone to guide me all the way to the end of the assignment.
Hi Sofia — I know a lot of people who are wealth without a very high level of formal education. But that doesn’t mean they are stupid or lazy. In fact, they are typically obsessively interested in learning everything they can about what they do well. Having said that, in many professions, an education is absolutely necessary. Only someone who isn’t a surgeon would ever think you can learn that on your own no matter how smart you were. And it’s not just the skills, it’s the entire system of knowledge, production, and operating in those environments that have to be learned. So, while education may not be necessary to being successful, learning and knowledge absolutely are 100%.
I would have like to read this reading before starting the academic year, to take into account the ups and downs of college life. I recognize, that most of school life was solving homework and exams, preparing me, to be the type of person who responsibly completes assignments and projects.
The ThinkWell diagram is an effective way to teach students about developing skills, which are very helpful when doing assignments and homeworks with critical thinking. The diagram, up to down, that the increase in cognitive abilities is proportional to the economic gains, which sounds good.
Many students venture to college for the unique purpose of getting more money, I hope this is not the only thing that moves the students. In my opinion, the diagram has been very effective and convincing, so I hope to improve with the help of my educators.
Hi Cristina — I think there is definitely a correlation between the complexity of skill necessary to do something and the potential for economic gain. I certainly know I get paid more writing things that far fewer people know how to write because they are hard than I do simple things like Discussion Questions (but these are more fun!) But it’s not as easy as that. Higher order thinking and learning skills demonstrate over time something that is intellectually curious, engaged with the world, a leader in their profession/community/whathaveyou, and who actively seeks opportunity from the world. That perspective, coupled with skills, is what really gets you the money.
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I’m the kind of student that does her work good, tries to not leave anything last minutes when it comes to any other subject that is not english im fine. But sadly english is not my strongest subject. When it comes to homework and projects I do my best,I go all out but I do like to be incontrol of my work, i’ve had horrible experiences when it comes to group work because it always gonna be the same people doing everything. As well I do have my bad habit when i start to slack on my work which is something I will not do anymore. I categorize myself like this because I tend to do stuff before its due since do it gives me time to think on what i’m doing and it gives me time to ask questions because I am very doubtful about my work. Think well looks model is like a rubric and as much as we can relate to it, it’s a great diagram we learn on what we can improve on in order to move up.
Looking at the diagram I strongly feel like this is familiar like I said above it’s like a rubric when grading a essay. For some people it is very hard to achieve these steps they can’t just improve each row at the same time, it takes time to be on top. Personally I wouldn’t use this, in a way it’s more stressful having to follow a diagram, it has to be personally adjusted. I can’t do it on my own but that’s why we have personal help there are people to help. From the look of this i’m on the average side i’ve never been too low or too high. It is something that will change I will improve more.
Hi Abigail — It sounds like you are a classic good student–doing enough to get it done to your satisfaction and then slowly becoming overwhelmed and falling behind as you realize that this is no longer good enough to move forward. Luckily, you have the chance to do things differently here and the realization that you need to!
As for the diagram, it’s not something you “use” like a process or follow. Don’t mistake it as a set of directions. It’s a model for explaining how these facets of learning fit well together. You aren’t in control of them–as you achieve different levels of mastery, you can do these things. Sometimes that take a day, sometimes it takes a lifetime depending on the person, the task, and the circumstances.
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I would categorize myself as a âgood student,â and based on the Thinkwell article, I feel like their definition of a âgood studentâ fits me. I have always done homework and studied a certain way. However, I have only been an official college student for 3 days and can already see a big shift in the way I am going to do things. I am already learning new things I need to get used to, and if I do not, I can see how I can fall behind and not do my best, which is what appears to happen to good students and why they do bad in college. Not because we are not smart, but because the shift is so big that we need a way to get accustomed to it so that we do what we know we are capable of doing. Personally, the Thinkwell Diagram is an accurate rule of thumb because I can see myself represented in it. The way that I view myself as a student is correctly identified in their study. I have always been fairly organized, set aside time for studying and doing work. I do know that I need to work on time management which in these past few days I can see I will definitely need to work on that.
Looking at the Thinkwell Diagram, I can see that it feels like a rubric. One that you would get when grading an essay or project. The bottom shows Higher Order Thinking Skills, which in a rubric would equal to a greater score. As the categories move on to Lower Order Thinking Skills, in a rubric, that would then equal to a lower score. The Higher Order Thinking Skills, require exactly that, a more intense way of seeing things, in order to come up with their own ideas aside from what they are reading, whereas the Lower Order Thinking Skills only duplicate the ideas of what they are reading. I would classify myself somewhere in the middle because I have never really been one to come up with my own ideas based off something else, even though I try to. I have never seen students categorized in this way, but looking at it, I can see where I would fit in and why.
Hi Mar — I think you have a really insightful response here, both in terms of how you are seeing your own processes of learning, but what you understand of the diagram. It’s worth pointing out that the higher-order aspects of learning aren’t necessarily better, they just are conceptually more abstract and require deeper understanding. They don’t substitute for the lower-order aspects, they require them to function. If you truly understand something, you will be able to do it all and there are instances where each aspect of understanding would be more valuable than others.
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I am the type of student who stays on top of herself when it comes to getting an education. I genuinely take up most of my time focusing on my studies although there are moments when I cause myself to procrastinate. As much of a procrastinator I am I will always stress about whether or not my work is good enough because I have such high expectations for myself. Looking at the think well model it allowed me to realize the different levels there are and how every individual can be different. I believe it is very effective because it allows every college student to be able to observe where they’re currently at and how they can change their ways to better themselves.
Looking at the think well diagram I was able to realize the different outcomes when observing new information. I think this is just a better understanding of how good or how poorly we evaluate something. I’ve come to realize that these things may vary based off of what were observing, by this I mean that different types of subjects will get observed differently because if its something were interested in we’d go above and beyond to learn more about it. This diagram is nothing new but it does insure me of where my skills are currently taking place from a different approach. With this chart I’m able to realize what Im doing wrong and what I should do better my understanding. Personally I think I can do these things but it’ll take some adjusting because I think my skills are low and thats something I want to change.
I am the kind of students that is willing to work and learn but needs some guidance. After reading the article âWhy do Good Students Do Bad in Collegeâ it makes me realize that I am the type of students that is studying in to âHope-So Landâ. In high school I am used to learning in the way where in class I just have to memorize what the teacher had taught me and I will be fine on my tests, and even if I canât there is always a review day before the test to refresh students minds. After reading the I understand that if I want to succeed in college this way of learning will only fail me. I believe the Thinkwell model is an effective way of categorizing new college students, as it gives the students a clear idea of where they are at and what separates them from the good learners.
Looking at the Thinkwell diagram makes me think of a guide to becoming a good learner, which gives students a direction to work on. This diagram reminds me of a rubric that my high school English teacher uses to determine how well we write an essay. Looking at the diagram, I think my skill level is between level 2 and 3 because I am able to perform most of the skills mentioned in level 1 and 2. Even though I am able to categorize myself by looking at the diagram, I donât think I am able to increase my level of thinking skills without any guidance. Hopefully with this course I will be able to improve my level of thinking skills.
As a student, I analyze my strategies and skills to improve myself. From my point of view, I would say that I’m the hard working student who procrastinates, but makes sure things get done. I believe that some of my best work has been done when I worked at my own pace and put my crammed thoughts into it. In order to be successful in college, I must adjust to a different learning culture which will allow me to practice better work ethics. The Thinkwell article thoroughly explains the reality of being a student. While reading, I realized that some of the information mentioned was actually very relatable because advancing your education require the student to broaden their mindset. I do believe that the Thinkwell model is a heuristic for categorizing new college students.
As for the Thinkwell diagram, it reminds me of a rubic, a tool used to evaluate and guide a student’s performance. The diagram is showing that the value of learning and communication increases. When you can master producing information that is original then the value is high because the strategy was practiced and learned thoroughly. It’s like doing a job and staring off as crew member and increasing your performance, then eventually becoming a manager. After you master the skills of managing, you then become a general manager, making twice as much as you were being a crew member. With that experience you can own your business. This diagram feels very familiar to me because I use these skills in school but I haven’t fully achieved producing my original information as yet.
I am the type of student that make sure every homework, project, assignments is done well and given before the due date.I am the student that loves to work alone because I like to work on my own time and do work that is up to my standards. I wouldnâtâ say I am a perfectionist but I just love my work to be great. Iâam the student that anxiety gets high when I miss something or things doesnât look exactly to my taste. I categorize myself this way because I want people to see me as a student that loves her work and would want the best for herself.I believe that the Thinkwell model is a great way to show what a great college student should have to be successful in college.
The Thinkwell diagram means that the better you learn to apply those skills to your life, a greater outcome you will receive in the end. These do feel and look familiar to me but I am afraid that Iâam not very well at applying them to my work. I lack in the writing confidence to self-direct myself to using these skills in my writing but when I have the right support from a person,I will do my best.
Iâm the kind of student who doesnât do that much fun activities with others. Iâm just focusing on doing school assignments, homework, and projects. I categorize that to myself because I only care about getting an education and finishing work that has to be done. Think well model is a great way to show new categorized students something for themselves. It can give them a better idea on what they are gonna experience in college, what quality work the teachers are asking for and how much time your gonna spent on it.
Seeing the outcome from top to bottom means to me that the better you get at writing the more money youâll receive. It doesnât feel familiar for but It does look familiar to me. Itâs like a grading chart from highschool when one of my teacher is telling what needs to be their like 1-5 points and of course we trying to aim for a higher grade. I’l try my best to do everything what it says in the chart but it wont be easy without any help. I canât self-direct manner without being promoted I need some help on what has to be done in class and telling me whatâs wrong that I have to fix.
Well, Erick, that’s a good start. What you are referring to is a “rubric,” and Thinkwell’s diagram is definitely one of those. But it is saying something very specific about what constitutes deep learning and how that is demonstrated. I will say this — learning something deeply, and learning how to communicate it expertly, is definitely money in your pocket. Of course, if it were that easy to do, everyone would be doing it, yes? So, I’m interested in you thinking about what separates the people who can go the distance and those who never get beyond dreaming.