Do we coddle young people? If so, it’s on us, not them

BY SUSAN HANAFEE

I remember telling my new boss that I definitely wasn’t the smartest person in the company—not by a long shot – but I would be one of the hardest-working. I think if you asked him thirty years later if that was true, he would agree.

This is no pat on the back. That’s just how things are with me. I’m willing to put in the hours to guarantee success if there’s something I want or believe in.

It hasn’t always been that way. I was more focused on boys and having fun in high school than on studying. I did okay, but I’m not sure how. When I got to college, my freshman year was a total disaster. My grade point average my first semester was mediocre. I “missed” a two-point average the second semester and was put on academic probation. I was required to participate in “study table” in the dining room at the sorority I’d pledged.

I had a lot of excuses. I was just 17. I was from a small town. I had gotten As and Bs in high school without trying. My 7 a.m. geology lab was a mile from my residence hall. My Russian teachers were mean. I got mono from partying and a bad diet. I was pathetic.

The good news was that getting terrible grades and facing the consequences was exactly the wake-up call I needed.

This morning, as my man and I were sitting on our lanai overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway, he pointed to a story he was reading in The Wall Street Journal. It said that the University of Michigan was no longer going to grade freshmen during the first semester. They would get a pass or no credit. Notice the word “fail” was not used.

Michigan will begin the system for first-semester freshmen in fall 2027, initially in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts.

I thought back to my freshman year and groaned.

“Big mistake,” I said to my man. “How is this preparing our kids for a successful future?”

The university says the reason for adopting this new policy is to “curb the mental health crisis unfolding among college-aged individuals” and to help young people acclimate to the demands of higher-education.

College is ostensibly for four years. The real world is the rest of your life. I have some changes for U of M to consider.

First, why not establish a semester-long “adjustment” program in which freshmen are taught how to live in that world? This would include the basics, such as dealing with finances, how to act on the job, getting along with others and valuing their opinions, the importance of reading books, time management, how to cook, do your laundry, clean and so forth.

If pre-tests indicate that a student is lacking in math or reading skills, then a course to improve those fundamentals should be part of the program. Students should be encouraged to examine their real interests and decide if college is what they want or if their focus should be on the trades. If making money is a college graduate’s goal, craftsmen today often make more and have better job security than corporate employees with college degrees.

At Michigan, this first semester should be offered at a significantly reduced rate from the $19,000 tuition for in-state students and the $50,000 for out-of-state attendees. Why waste money if college isn’t for you?

Some say that we coddle our young people. If we do, it’s on us, not them. Our job is to get them ready for life. Sometimes that means a firm hand. Most often it means understanding that the world is a complex and scary place, and they need our help and support – not our excuses.

I survived my freshman year. More importantly, I learned from it. Maybe instead of figuring out how to keep young people from failing, we should be teaching them how to respond when they do. Because sooner or later, life is going to hand them a failing grade – and there won’t be a professor around to change it to “no credit.”

Susan Hanafee is an award-winning former journalist whose career as a reporter for The Indianapolis Star spanned three decades. You can follow her at susanhanafee.com. Her new book Leo, Detective with Ryan Hanafee will debut September 1, 2026.