After half a semester of not communicating with my professors as well as I could have, I anticipate the worst for my midterm grades.
But as my professors email me with my grades at the halfway point of the semester, I can start to relax. These emails bring a sense of peace and security, telling me for the first time what my final grade might look like.
But only the freshman class will find that same reassurance. Upperclassmen will not receive their midterm grades and will be left wondering where they stand—wondering if they’re going to keep their scholarship, or maintain their position on the sports team.
I understand that because freshmen are in a time of transition from high school, where teachers have the means for one-on-one interaction, to college, where students must seek out their professors, they need a little more notification about their academic status; but, that does not mean that upperclassmen do not deserve that same opportunity.
Sophomore Angela Valerio agrees, saying that “it’s frustrating for students who need to keep track of their GPA, prepare for internships, or for those of us who just don’t feel confident in a particular class and would like to know how we’re doing.”
Valerio is not the only student who feels this way. I’ve spoken to many other ENC upperclassmen, all of whom are looking for a change.
As a freshman, I am thankful that I get my midterm grades because they really do make me feel better about how I’m doing academically, and I hope that the policy will change and that upperclassmen will receive their midterm grades too.
Although a seemingly small change, it would have a large impact on the academic performance of ENC students, and I—as well as many other ENC students—would say it is a necessity.