There is an awareness in higher education that men are failing, avoiding, or abandoning higher education at a troubling rate. This "crisis of disconnect or disengagement" is non-beneficial to higher education, to society, and to lives of males. The data about men indicates the following:

• decreasing enrollment of males compared to women
• academic performance gap
• increasing attrition of males, even men with good academic potential
• college men's health is at risk
• men are not acquiring skills necessary to function in a global economy

Longwood University freshmen and seniors have completed the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) in spring terms of 2000, 2002, 2003, and 2005. One finding for freshmen highlights the challenge that men have. In the Executive Summary, the following was written:

"Male undergraduate students are nearly twice as likely as females to be on probation or suspension with a grade point average below 2.0 (21.9% males, 11.9% females). The males' total average SAT scores of 1081 is higher than the average for females' SAT scores (1054), but the female term grade point average of 2.86 is higher than that for males 2.55. Similar trends appear in the high school data with the male undergraduate cumulative high school GPA at 3.07 compared with 3.28 for females. On the NSSE, about 65% of males spend 10 hours or less per week preparing for class compared with 44.5% of females. Males are more likely than females to come to class without completing reading or assignments (27.0% versus 20.0%). Males are less likely than females to work harder than they thought they could to meet the expectations of the instructor(53.0% versus 62.9%)."

Stuck on a paper? Have big test coming up? Check out writing tips, study guides and strategies and more at www.studygs.net. This site also contains articles on 

• managing time
• managing stress
• developing reading skills
• and preparing for, and taking tests

Or check out more study tips at the Ohio University to find study tips, information on memory, a GPA calculator and more.

So we all know that we have put off that big paper until the last minute and then had to scramble around trying to get enough research and information to fill ten whole pages. But it didn't work very well did it? Procrastination can lower your quality of work and produce unnecessary stress. Read about time management skills and procrastination to keep the bug away from you!

Stop by the Longwood Learning Center in Greenwood Library for help in their Writing and Speaking centers.

The Learning Center also has resources available for students such as: general study strategies, a GPA calculator, math and English help, as well as other tips to give you mind a break.
Longwood Disability Support Services: Assist in providing an accessible environment and promoting student undergraduate success.

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