High Point–Low Point Turns First-Year Seminars Human

At Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, instructors use a weekly high point–low point routine in a required first-year seminar to break the “crickets” silence, build community, and give students a safer way to share both wins and struggles—without forcing them

In a first-year seminar room, the quiet can feel like a verdict.

Instructors show up expecting students to talk. and too often the air stays still—an easy moment for frustration to creep in. especially when group work and in-class discussion depend on people feeling connected. At Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. the fix is small but surprisingly deliberate: a high point–low point activity that begins each class and asks students to talk about their week before anything else happens.

The seminar meets once a week in the fall term for 50 minutes, with an average class size of 15 students. It’s a required course designed to support the transition process—exposing students to the resources and skills they need to succeed. The curriculum is formal, but there is leeway for what instructors shape as an operational curriculum inside the classroom.

Each session starts with a required prompt. Every student shares a “high point,” defined as a highlight from the past week—something positive. There are no requirements or restrictions other than this part is required. Students choose what counts as their own moment. whether that’s something as straightforward as waking up in time for classes. or something more substantial like doing well on an exam. getting a design project to work. or visiting with family.

The activity has traveled under different names, too. Instructors have used “Roses and Thorns” and “Happies and Crappies,” but the structure stays the same: students bring their highlight to the group, and the room responds.

After the high points, students are invited—this time optionally—to share a “low point” from the past week. The goal, instructors say, isn’t to embarrass students. It’s meant to normalize the experience and clear the way for open, honest communication.

What emerges is not a rare event. When students are asked for low points, hands still go up. They share experiences ranging from showing up to class not realizing they had an exam to having a major project malfunction at the last minute. As with the high point, students decide if they share a low point, and if so, which one.

While one student talks, others listen.

When students share high points. the moment becomes a chance for the class—especially the instructor—to mirror energy back to the student. reinforce positive behaviors. and encourage students on their journey. whether they currently feel successful or not. When low points come up. it shifts again: instructors use the opening to extend empathy toward the situation and share strategies that might help students in the future.

The push and pull inside the routine is what makes it feel effective. Students practice speaking without being thrown into a debate. They also learn that struggle isn’t something to hide. That combination changes the classroom tone, instructors say, and helps reduce the dreaded silence.

The high point–low point activity is also supported by teaching research that frames participation as less about forcing performance and more about creating safety. McKeachie and Svinicki (2006) write that “the safest thing to do is keep quiet” (p. 46). and suggest that getting acquainted is one way to reduce public speaking fear—because once students know they are among friends. they can risk expressing themselves (p. 46). With that foundation. instructors say students become more comfortable sharing during lectures. which reduces the silence instructors dread and spurs “higher levels of effort when they feel connected to others and when they believe others care about them and are there to support them” (Harrington. 2021. p. 35).

Beyond speaking comfort, the routine helps students recognize each other through their experience. Instructors describe how students often find common ground based on what is shared. which creates a sense of normalcy such as. “I failed that test too!” That recognition can make group activities easier and more genuine.

There’s also an explicit student-success goal tied to the format. In a first-year seminar, instructors reinforce topics of the course and show how they complement each other. Even so. instructors say this growth can happen regardless of the specific topics covered—because the skill being practiced is participation. reflection. and connection.

Still, the method requires care. Instructors note that it takes delicacy to focus on the future without heaping guilt onto the past.

From a student affairs perspective, the activity’s emotional core may be validation. Many students feel pressure to present themselves as managing college well at all times, especially in academically rigorous environments. Creating intentional room to name both successes and struggles helps normalize challenge as part of college rather than a personal shortcoming.

“Happies and Crappies” (one of the names instructors have used) offers a way for students to hear that peers are navigating similar stressors—academic. social. and personal. Over time. instructors say. those shared moments reduce isolation and make it easier for students to acknowledge when they are struggling. They also reinforce belonging in the classroom even when things aren’t going well, drawing on Tinto (1993).

The optional nature of the low point is part of the balance. Students maintain control over what they disclose, a design intended to support psychological safety while still encouraging authentic connections. Instructors are not expected to solve students’ challenges. but the conversations can open doors to empathy. normalization. and. when appropriate. connection to resources.

Scaling the activity is another consideration. Because the first-year seminar structure centers on weekly meeting time. spending five to ten minutes on the high point–low point activity each week is framed as worthwhile. Instructors point out that lower section enrollment makes the practice easier. but larger enrollments don’t automatically require longer time commitments.

If classes meet several times a week in a different course format, the activity could be implemented once a week. For larger class sizes. students could be broken into smaller groups. with an option to share particularly salient examples with the entire class. Another alternative described is for instructors to call on a certain number of students each week to share their high point with the whole group.

The heart of the approach remains practical, but it’s also relational. Taking the time to interact with students signals that they are seen as individuals, not just as students. Bain (2004) is cited for a teaching principle that the best teachers studied “displayed not power but an investment in the students” (p. 139).

For instructors trying to cut through “crickets,” build a sense of community and belonging, and connect with students in real time about what they’re actually dealing with, the method is presented as straightforward: one tool, multiple purposes—high point and low point, shared weekly.

Sarah A. Forbes, PhD, is the Student Academic Success Director and a first-year seminar instructor at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. In these roles, she helps students learn new strategies for academic success. Sarah also serves as a first-year seminar instructional designer, summer bridge program director, and academic advising program administrator.

LeAnne Myers is the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs and a first-year seminar instructor at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. Her professional work and teaching focus on fostering inclusive learning environments that support student engagement, persistence, and overall well-being.

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