The dip: How to deal with the falling grades pattern

“The dip” is something that notoriously happens right around the 6th week of the semester (typically, this means there are 12 more weeks to go). Things pile up, a few missing assignments, a few bad scores, and suddenly, everything feels overwhelming. The dip is very predictable. It actually starts at weeks 2-3, although it’s very hard to detect at this point. Everything seems fine, but details are beginning to be missed here and there. Between weeks 4-6, it really hits hard. Almost out of thin air, bad grades appear, the student is behind on everything, stress flares up, it’s hard to get motivated. Red flags are huge, it’s a crossroads. If students dive in and address problems proactively, they can turn it around. If they avoid, it’s going to be a long rest of the semester, swimming upstream, struggling to dig out of the hole. Stop dipping, turn it around, now is the time! This video sheds some light on the issue.