No matter the amount of effort put in, there is no way to guarantee a perfect grade. As final grades are being put in, there are some moments of utter relief and other moments of total and utter despair. You open your computer, check Canvas, and see the thing that feels as though it is the singular defining moment of your college life: a bad grade. Your cheeks flush, gut drops and fingers shake. How will this reflect on your GPA? How will you break the news to your parents or advisors? The world feels like it opened up beneath you to swallow you whole, only to spit you back out to handle the consequences. Maybe this seems overly dramatic, but there are very few ways to describe the feeling of a bad grade as a student whose best effort never seems to pay off.
Acceptence
The first step to moving on from a bad grade is to grieve it. This may feel silly, or even pointless. However, you won’t be able to reflect or process the grade until you accept the emotions you hold towards it. Grief isn’t just being sad. Sometimes grief is being annoyed at yourself or at the world. Sometimes it looks like eating a whole bag of Doritos while crying in bed under several layers of blankets while wearing an old t-shirt. Whatever it looks like for you, is the right way to grieve.
turning point
Once you have had time to fully grieve your GPA, it is time to do something even scarier than getting a bad grade: trying to get a better one. A bad grade is one thing, but putting yourself back out there to get a good grade is horrifying. And yet, there is no better time to be vulnerable than in the present as it is our actions now that dictate our future. This is the time to question why you got a bad grade. Perhaps the class was superbly difficult. Perhaps you used a study technique that doesn’t align with your study type. Or perhaps it is as simple as the study guide didn’t quite match what would be covered on the test. Whatever the reason, you can use it to understand how you can improve next semester.
Taking charge
Once you have analyzed what went wrong, and have decided what steps you can take to improve, there is only one thing left to do: start. As soon as the new semester begins, start studying. As a procrastinator, this is a dull reality. However, building the habit makes studying for finals a breeze. Or at least a more gentle gust of wind. If you have time over break, start studying early. Watch YouTube videos on the subject matter. Make flashcards on the basic terms or formulas that you will need in class. Prepare a notebook, folder, or binder to make note taking later down the line easier and quicker.
so what? One grade doesn’t define you
At the end of this journey, it is important to remember that this one, singular grade isn’t the end of the world. Rather, it is the catalyst that can push you to new and better places as long as you take the time to grieve and learn from it.