University is an exciting time for students, offering the chance to gain specialised knowledge, meet new people, and start on the path to a future career. However, failure is a common occurrence, with a large proportion of students failing at least one unit during their degree. While failing is not the end of the world, it can have significant financial implications, as students often have to pay to retake subjects. This raises the question: do universities benefit from their students failing? This is an important issue to address, as it impacts the support structures and systems provided by universities to help students succeed.
Characteristics | Values |
---|---|
Do universities benefit from failing students? | No, fails and dropouts are not good for business, so universities have an interest in helping students pass and graduate. |
What percentage of students fail at least one unit of their degree? | Between 23% and 52% of students in four major study areas – education, civil engineering, nursing and commerce – fail at least one unit of their degree. |
What are the consequences of failing? | Students who fail one subject are four times more likely to drop out of their course. 58% of those who failed one subject went on to fail again, in the same or another subject. |
What are the reasons for failure? | Personal factors such as self-confidence, study habits and attitudes; life circumstances such as health, employment and family responsibilities; and institutional factors such as policies, procedures and the curriculum. |
What can universities do to help? | Reach out to students at the point of failure with sensitivity and humanity; offer positive suggestions and help students to mobilise their own resilience strategies; tailor interventions to help students improve their study habits, navigate the system, develop social networks and adapt their study pathways; de-stigmatise failure at an institutional level to normalise help-seeking and promote peer support options. |
What You'll Learn
- Students failing is common and costly for all involved
- Students often don't seek help due to shame or embarrassment
- Universities can help students by de-stigmatising failure
- Students should be encouraged to seek help from family, friends and peers
- Universities should reach out to students with humanity and sensitivity
Students failing is common and costly for all involved
University students failing their courses is a depressingly common phenomenon. A study at a large Australian university found that up to 52% of students in education, civil engineering, nursing, and commerce failed at least one unit during their degree. Failure rates differ across courses due to a combination of student demographics, including a higher percentage of international students, and other factors such as assessment policies and staff-student relationships.
Students who fail a subject are four times more likely to drop out of their course. This can be costly for the student, as they may have to pay to retake the subject, and for the university, as it loses revenue from the student's tuition fees. In addition, failing a subject can impact a student's mental health, with many students reporting feelings of stress, depression, devastation, and embarrassment.
There are several factors that contribute to student failure. Personal factors include self-confidence, study habits, and attitudes. Life circumstances such as health, employment, and family responsibilities can also play a role. Institutional factors, such as university policies, procedures, and the curriculum, can also impact a student's ability to succeed.
When students fail, they often feel shocked and disappointed, highlighting a lack of understanding of the expectations of them. Many students identify heavy work burdens outside of university, physical or mental health issues, and financial strain as the main factors in their failure. These factors can combine to increase a student's inability to cope with their study load, particularly when they have to repeat units and pay additional fees.
Other factors beyond a student's control, such as family responsibilities, poor curriculum design, lack of support from staff, and inflexible university rules, can also contribute to failure. Students may also struggle with their own poor study habits, learning or language difficulties, lifestyle choices, or social isolation.
Universities can play a crucial role in helping students who are failing. The first step should be to reach out to students at the point of failure, preferably through direct contact, to offer support and guidance. Universities can also work with students to address the underlying factors that contributed to their failure and help them develop better study habits and coping strategies.
Additionally, universities can destigmatize failure by opening up discussions around what it means to fail and providing accounts from successful alumni who have experienced failure. This can normalize help-seeking behaviors and promote peer support options for struggling students.
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Students often don't seek help due to shame or embarrassment
Failing a class or a unit during a degree is not uncommon, and students can experience a range of emotions, including disappointment, stress, embarrassment, and devastation. While universities have procedures in place to identify students who are failing and offer them support, many students do nothing about it due to feelings of shame or embarrassment.
Shame is a powerful emotion that can lead people to try to hide or conceal the things they feel ashamed of. Students may feel ashamed of their low grades or failure and, as a result, may be hesitant to reach out for help. They may worry about what others will think of them or feel that they need to present a perfect image to the world. This can be especially true for international students, who may already feel like outsiders and worry about not being taken seriously if they seek help. Additionally, students who are struggling with their mental health may be reluctant to speak up due to the stigma surrounding mental illness. They may fear being judged or labelled, and this can be a significant barrier to seeking support.
The fear of judgement and stigma can lead students to isolate themselves and avoid seeking help, even when they are struggling. This isolation can create a vicious cycle, as students may feel even more ashamed and alone, making it harder to reach out for assistance. It is important for universities to recognise this and create a culture of acceptance and understanding, where students feel safe to admit they are struggling and ask for help.
Universities can play a crucial role in helping students who are failing or at risk of failing by offering targeted support and resources. This may include academic advising, mental health services, and peer support programs. By normalising help-seeking behaviour and providing multiple avenues for support, universities can reduce the stigma and embarrassment that students may feel. Additionally, universities can work to de-stigmatise failure and encourage students to view it as a learning opportunity rather than a source of shame.
While it is ultimately the student's responsibility to adapt their behaviour and seek help after academic failure, universities can play a vital role in creating a supportive and non-judgmental environment that encourages students to ask for assistance when needed.
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Universities can help students by de-stigmatising failure
Firstly, universities should acknowledge that failure is a complex issue influenced by various factors. Personal factors, such as self-confidence, study habits, and attitudes, play a significant role in student failure. Additionally, life circumstances, including health, employment, and family responsibilities, can also impact students' ability to succeed. By recognising these factors, universities can provide tailored support to address the specific challenges faced by students.
Secondly, universities should take proactive measures to reach out to students who fail. Instead of waiting for students to seek help, universities should initiate contact through direct conversations, emails, or phone calls. This approach demonstrates sensitivity and humanity towards students who may be struggling. During these interactions, universities can offer positive suggestions and help students develop strategies to build resilience and address their challenges.
Furthermore, universities can facilitate peer support networks and normalise help-seeking behaviours. By sharing stories and experiences of failure from successful alumni, universities can show students that failure is not the end of the road. Additionally, providing apps or digital tools to help students manage their emotions and connect with peers can be beneficial. These initiatives can foster a sense of community and support among students, reducing the stigma associated with failure.
Lastly, universities should work collaboratively with students to address institutional factors that contribute to failure. This includes examining policies, procedures, and curriculum design to ensure they are student-centric and conducive to learning. By involving students in this process, universities can create a culture of continuous improvement and shared responsibility for academic success.
In conclusion, universities play a pivotal role in de-stigmatising failure and supporting students who may be struggling. By recognising the multifaceted nature of failure, proactively reaching out to students, promoting peer support, and addressing institutional factors, universities can create an environment that fosters resilience, growth, and success for all students.
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Students should be encouraged to seek help from family, friends and peers
Students should be encouraged to seek help from family, friends, and peers
Students should be encouraged to seek help from family, friends, and peers as they can provide a strong support system that can positively impact their mental health and well-being. Here are some reasons why seeking help from loved ones and peers is beneficial:
- Social Support: Family, friends, and peers can offer emotional support, informational support, companionship, and practical help. They can provide a listening ear, empathy, and understanding, which are crucial for students' emotional well-being.
- Background Knowledge: Family and friends often have a deep understanding of the student's life, circumstances, and personal history. This knowledge can provide valuable insights and help them recognise and address the student's challenges effectively.
- Offloading Burden: Talking to loved ones and peers can help students unburden their thoughts and feelings, reducing the weight of their problems. It can also help them gain different perspectives and realise they are not alone.
- Accessibility and Acceptability: Family and friends are often easily accessible and willing to help without judgement. They can provide a safe and familiar environment for students to express their thoughts and feelings without embarrassment or shame.
- Education: By seeking help, students can educate their family and friends about their situation, increasing their understanding and awareness of mental health issues. This can lead to more tolerance, support, and improved relationships.
- Positive Influence: Seeking help from peers can positively influence students' behaviours and habits. For example, spending time with friends who engage in healthy activities or have good study habits can motivate students to adopt similar behaviours.
- Stigma Reduction: Seeking help from family and friends can help reduce the stigma associated with mental health issues. It normalises help-seeking behaviours and promotes a culture of support and understanding.
- Personal Attributes: Family and friends often possess positive attributes such as trustworthiness, honesty, and non-judgmental attitudes. They can provide a safe and supportive environment for students to express themselves without fear of rejection or criticism.
While seeking help from family and friends offers many benefits, it is important to recognise that not all experiences may be positive. Sometimes, loved ones may not fully understand mental health issues or provide appropriate support. In such cases, it is crucial for students to also seek professional help or reach out to support services available at their educational institutions.
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Universities should reach out to students with humanity and sensitivity
While failure at university is common, it is rarely discussed and often attributed to students' laziness or lack of care. However, universities should not make students wholly responsible for their failures. Instead, universities should reach out to students with humanity and sensitivity, offering positive suggestions and support.
A study conducted at a large Australian university found that up to 52% of students in education, civil engineering, nursing, and commerce failed at least one unit during their degree. Failure rates vary across courses due to student demographics, assessment policies, and relationships between staff and students. Despite the high failure rate, only 40% of students in the study utilized institutional support services, with many citing shame as a barrier to seeking help.
Universities should take the initiative to reach out to students at the point of failure, preferably through direct contact, but also via email and phone. This outreach should be done with sensitivity and humanity, as students experiencing failure may be feeling a range of negative emotions, such as disappointment, stress, depression, devastation, and embarrassment.
By reaching out to students, universities can help them to develop resilience and perspective, address health issues, and seek social and academic support. This support can be tailored to individual students, helping them to improve their study habits, navigate the university system, develop social networks, and adapt their study pathways. For students who have failed multiple times, this tailored support is especially crucial.
In addition to providing individual support, universities can also normalize help-seeking behaviors and promote peer support options by destigmatizing failure at an institutional level. This can be achieved by opening up discussions around failure, sharing accounts of successful alumni who have experienced failure, and providing emotional management tools such as apps. By taking a proactive and compassionate approach, universities can help students make sense of and recover from their failures, increasing their likelihood of persisting, adapting, and ultimately succeeding.
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Frequently asked questions
No, universities do not benefit from failing students. Fails and dropouts are not good for universities, so it is in their best interest to do everything they can to help students pass their courses and graduate. Universities also offer academic, counselling, and personal support services to help students succeed.
If a student fails a course, they can re-take the subject at a later date, take a different subject, defer future subject enrolment, or complete a supplementary assignment or exam to pass. If a student fails a subject more than once or multiple subjects in a semester, the university will likely contact them to offer support.
Universities can reach out to students at the point of failure through direct contact, email, or phone. They can offer positive suggestions and help students develop their resilience strategies. They can also de-stigmatize failure at an institutional level to normalize help-seeking and promote peer support options.