So you bombed your midterm. Or you failed your first exam in one of your classes. Or you just didn’t do as well as you expected to on the first big assignment for that required course for your major. It’s okay, girl. Take a deep breath. Here are some tips on getting through this struggle we’ve all dealt with at least once in our college careers.
Don’t overthink it:
If you’ve just walked out of the exam and haven’t gotten your score back yet, calm down. It may not be as bad as you think. The professor may give half credit to questions you think you answered incorrectly, or maybe you’re being too hard on yourself.
When you get the test back:
Okay, the score was really as bad as you expected. Maybe even worse. At least now you know how you did and you’re not stuck in the Twilight Zone, constantly refreshing Blackboard for an update on your grade.
Correct your mistakes:
Understand what was marked wrong and why your response was incorrect. Throwing your flunked exam in the trash on your way out of class or stuffing it into the bottom of your backpack won’t help you in the long run. Knowledge builds, so what you don’t understand on exam #1 will come back to haunt you on later tests.
Damage control:
Are there any questions on the test you could get points back for, or is there any way for you to make up the grade? Maybe your professor offers test corrections, or they drop your lowest exam score. At the very least, politely asking for credit on problems you feel you answered correctly doesn’t hurt.
Talk to your professor:
After all, they’re the person who graded your test! Confessing that you were aiming for a higher grade might alert your professor that you’re putting in effort and need extra help. Professors are pretty good at knowing what study habits make students successful in a certain course, so they might be able to give you some tips on how to get a better grade next time. Reviewing your exam with the professor might also be helpful because they could explain what they were looking for in certain responses that you were missing.
Revisit the syllabus:
The overall grade for a class doesn’t hinge on one assignment or exam. Knowing how your first exam factors into your final grade for the course is useful when you’re hoping for a certain grade in a class. How does your professor weight each exam, and how many tests are there throughout the semester? Does attendance or participation carry weight towards your final grade in the class? What grade can you still achieve in this course, now that you know you’ve flunked an assignment?
Analyze what went wrong:
There has to be a reason why the exam went poorly. Was there material on the test that you were unprepared for? Did you study enough, or did you not study material related to the test? Did you not understand the exam format? Were you mentally unprepared to take a test, and were you distracted during the exam? Did you procrastinate on studying until you ran out of sufficient time to comprehend the material? Were you unprepared with test materials, such as forgetting your calculator? Were you running late or did you miss class all together? There are plenty of explanations for why your test may have gone poorly. Once you pinpoint what went wrong, you can plan better for the next exam. You can’t find a solution before you know the problem.
Make a game plan:
When is the next graded assignment due? Mark it on your calendar, and jot it in your planner. Actually recognize how much time you have to prepare for the next exam, and make a study plan accordingly. If cramming over the three days prior to the first exam didn’t go well, try studying for at least a week before the second exam, and focus on a different aspect of the test material during each short study session.
Help wanted:
Who is doing well in the class and is willing to help you out? In most classes, it’s not too difficult to figure out who the star students are. Find the kid who religiously sits in the front row, turns in every homework assignment, and shows up five minutes early for every class. Ask the people who are doing well to tutor you or go over the course material once a week. Talk to them about how they prepared for the first exam, and try mimicking their habits. If you’re taking the course with friends, forming a study group or doing homework together might also give you the support that will boost your grade.
Chin up, buttercup:
Don’t be too hard on yourself. Bad grades aren’t worth agonizing over. There are much better things to focus your time and energy on than beating yourself up. Focus on doing your best, and make changes in your studying habits so the next exam will go smoother. All those red marks on your paper might sting a little, but your worth doesn’t depend on school assignments. Walk into the next exam knowing that you’ve done your best to prepare and you’re a great human no matter what grade you receive.