You Belong Here: What It Takes for Success in College

September 23, 2019 • by Marc Airhart

Why do so many first-year students struggle in college? Who is most likely to fail? And what can professors and staff do to help them get over the hump?

Two students talking on steps in front of the main administration building at the University of Texas at Austin

"I didn't know what was going on. And I just felt out of place as a whole," said Ivonne Martinez, a first-year student at UT Austin who was in danger of failing Freshman Calculus. "I was like, What am I doing? And that kind of made me panic."

In today's show, math professor Uri Treisman and chemistry professor David Laude describe ways they support students through this difficult time, and psychologist David Yeager explains why these tactics work. We'll also talk about the University of Texas at Austin's ambitious goal to boost the number of students graduating within four years from 52 percent several years ago to 70 percent, and how they did it. 

A student talks to an author at a book signing event

UT mathematics student Ivonne Martinez at a book-signing event with author Paul Tough.

A professor lectures students in an auditorium

Uri Treisman. Photo credit: Marsha Miller.

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