Expectations shape our responses. I come to supper thinking we’re having salmon, and instead it’s chicken thighs. I’m not smiling. A student studies for the exam, feels prepared, breezes through the questions, and anticipates a good grade. If the grade ends up a C, the student will not be smiling. Students come to college full of expectations—about their social life, having more freedom, their major, and what will happen in their courses. Mostly they expect their courses will be harder than they were in high school.
