Midterm grades are rolling back in and some of us are celebrating a job well done, but others – not so much. It’s already halfway through the semester so you might be feeling like there’s no going up from that glaring midterm grade on your Web for Students account, but this is exactly opposite of how you should be treating your grade right now. Midterms are meant to show you where you stand in the class so that final grade won’t be such a shock. Whether you did slightly less than you were expecting, bombed it, or just want to improve/maintain your current grade, there’s still time to improve! Midterm redemption is very real and very possible if you just have the motivation to do it.
The first step should be to look at where you stand now and decide what your end of the semester goal is. If you really did much lower than you were expecting with your midterm grade, this might be a little disheartening. Idealistic goals might not be possible but it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go forward aiming for the next best possible grade.
The next best possible grade does not mean what you can get if you get 100 percent credit on every assignment after, but rather what you realistically think you can achieve. Having impractical goals will just frustrate you in the end, so be real about what you want to accomplish. All in all, just stay calm because it will work out in the end!
The second step would be to figure out what you need to do to get to this new realistic goal. Check over the syllabus and see if your professor offers any extra credit opportunities or what projects are coming up that could greatly improve your class performance. Usually, showing up for almost every class is best for immediate improvement if you haven’t already been doing so. If you show up and don’t participate, then improve upon that, because being engaged in class discussion and asking questions can help you focus on the material being taught. Diligence with readings and homework are usually also easy ways to boost your grades in any class.
Now, you might be thinking, “Yeah, okay, I do all this but my grade still sucks!” Well, the next best thing would be to go above and beyond the better-known ways to increase your grade by doing a little extra. This includes tutoring, rewriting notes on a bi-weekly basis, and possibly even forming study groups full of people that will help you stay focused and on task towards your new grade goal.
The third step to this formula for midterm redemption would be actually speaking with your professor. Yes, maybe some of them seem pretty intimidating, or you’re just paranoid that now that you messed up their exam, they’ll personally hate you for the rest of your academic career. However, rest assured that most of them aren’t even a bit scary and Siena has them hold mandatory office hours for a reason. Even if you have never been before, going to professors’ office hours can not only help you figure out what else you need to do for class, but speaking with your professors outside of class shows an initiative that will be remembered. I can’t say they will boost your grade from a “B-“ to an “A” with no effort on your part, but if they are better able to remember your face and name when you raise your hand in class, they will most likely be better able to connect that with a better participation score instead of forgetting about the few times you might be able to answer the question. Plus, actually liking or at least having more contact with your professor will make you feel more comfortable in the class, which equals better grades by default.
The final step would be to ensure you keep a positive attitude about your grades. Yes, maybe it’s disheartening if you can no longer get your dream GPA for the semester or if the workload you do need to do seems to take more hours than are in the day. But, ultimately, it’s only a grade and all you can hope for is that it reflects your absolute best. Don’t think that continuing to do worse will just reflect poorly on the professor or that it just doesn’t matter anymore since you can no longer get an “B+” or better in the class. You will feel more confident and happy with yourself just knowing you did your best, and that is all anyone can ever ask of you.