Sometimes, shit just doesn’t work out the way you want it to. Maybe it was just a bad term, maybe it was your health, or maybe just didn’t pay enough attention in class. And you know what? It’s okay, we’ve all been there at some point or another. In the end, failing a class isn’t the end of the world as long as you act on it. Here are some tips to help you recover + rebound.
Whip out your syllabus, your graded work and your calculator. It’s time to do some serious math. Figure out what exactly your current grade is in the class and how many points/what percent the remainder of the class work is worth. You can do this by hand, but I would also suggest checking out:
RogerHub: This will help you figure out what grade (percentage) you need to get on your final exam in order to get a certain grade in a class (in this case, you can aim for the minimum % needed to pass)
The Amazing Grade Calculator: basically what it sounds like. you input your assignment scores + their weight and it will tell you what your current grade is and what average you need to get a certain grade in a class.
Check out your school’s retake policy.
Your university may or may not let your retake certain classes. Figure out how many you can retake or repeat. For example, I am allowed to retake up to 10 classes. However, only 4 of those retakes enable me to completely replace my previous grade (it would be as if I never failed the class if I pass the retake). The other 6 classes will be repeats, meaning that my overall grade in the class will be an average of my failing grade and my new grade. Do some research and see your university’s policy!
Go into office hours and tell them about your situation.The earlier you go, the better your chances are of passing If you have a legitimate reason such as a medical or family emergency, they might have some extra credit work you can do. This is not a guarantee and I would not expect anything, but you never know what might happen. Also, if you go in as soon as you realize this class isn’t working out, they might be able to pull you up and guide you in the right direction. Showing care and initiative can be the difference between passing and failing.
Your advisor will be able to tell you all your options, as well as discuss what will happen to you in the worst case scenario. They’ll be able to tell how exactly failing this class can potentially effect your education. Also, they’ll be able to help you figure out where to go from here. Make sure to check with them about the retake policy!
At this point, you should have some solid ideas of what exactly your possible next steps could be. If you can retake the class with no impact on your GPA, the best option may just be to fail/drop and focus your efforts on the rest of your classes. That’s okay! I’ve been there, and I’ve done that.
Understand what happened and learn from it.
Take this entire situation with a grain of salt. If the reason you’re doing poorly is because you went to every single class stoned out of your mind, you might want to start not doing that. If you’re failing more than one class, perhaps it’s time for you to re-evaluate your academic choices. There’s absolutely no shame in taking some time off school or changing your major because it was too tough. You know what’s best for you. Doing what’s best for you is never the wrong choice. Your health and your needs come before anything else.
failing a class: a survival guide by @revisicn
how to overcome failure by @enginehrd
how to deal with failure by @hope-studies
how to avoid burnout + stay motivated by me
how to manage your time as a college student by me
other helpful posts by me