Hello, itās #optomstudies here again with another Study Tip about dealing with bad (academic) news! Iāll speak from personal experience, you can have a look at my Fresh Start post from a while back haha
So~ after finding out your results thereās usually 4 standard reactions, with individual variations.Ā
Over-the-moon! A result or rank higher than you expected :D
Satisfied that the mark you received was the result of the work you put in
Disappointment when it missed the mark and
Utter shock or extreme sadness when you receive a terrible result
Obviously the first two, youāve put in the work and things are as sunny-side-up as your nutritious breakfast. Great job, and have a pat on the back! But we all have had that result that felt anywhere from disappointment to soul-crushing depression. Here are some tips on how to deal with the bad news.Ā
The first couple of steps help with coming to terms with your result and not allowing your emotions to overwhelm you.Ā
Check your results as soon as they come out. Majority of the time (or when youāre lucky with the less organised professors) youāll be aware at least the morning of, that the results are coming out. My advice is not to put it off unlessĀ you have an important exam or event before your day finishes. Youāll have completed your test/assignment 2 weeks prior, so why delay the inevitable with added anxiety?
Take a deep breath and calm down.Ā Especially for assessments with greater weighting. Ensure you are seated so that you feel grounded and in control.Ā
Take a step back from everyone and everything. It can be quite stressful being surrounded by both underachievers that stress and overachievers that celebrate.Ā
If you need to be sad or mope, then do so but donāt dwell on it.Ā I personally prefer to let all my steam out after getting the result. Iām probably the student you find moping around afterwards to other people, but the next day Iām usually ready to jump back into it again. Itās best to just let your emotions run their natural course.Ā
The next few steps help with moving on from the result and sorting out any remaining doubts.Ā
After youāve calmed down, verify the result.Ā There are the rare times that a bad result was just so out of left-field that it might just be the fact that the professor missed a page of marking your assignment. Iām sure you know at least one person around you whoās had this happen to them. Professors are human too and they do get tired.Ā
In addition to that, ask them the reasons why they handed you that result, and what you can do to improve.Ā Many studyblrs are probably in existence as a result of performing poorly in the past and deciding that they wonāt tolerate that kind of result anymore. If you can take it as an experience that guides your work ethic in the future, then youāve set yourself up for success.Ā
Talk to a friend about it. At this point, having someone who will listen without making judgements on how youāve done is really good for relaying to yourself the whole situation from an outside perspective. It can also help if that friend is happy to help you think of suggestions for how you can improve!
Contemplate your study methods prior to the exam, and implement a strategy to improve. Or think about your essay writing process. Did you do everything possible or was there something that you could improve on? What can you do better next time? Think about whether it was the way you organised or the way you studied. Self-reflection is a critical part of learning, so let it become second nature to you. It is also part of the process of self-actualisation in your day-to-day life.Ā
If you really feel up to it, reread your notes and have a look at what you didnāt understand. Analysing your mistakes is the only way that youāll improve, especially for subjects like maths. Try and break things down into different categories or areas, for example, silly mistakes vs. conceptual misunderstanding vs. reading the question wrong vs. forgetting the answer in the exam vs. not studying it in the first place. Depending on what the cause of the mistakes are, the ways that youāll try and best that will change.Ā
Now stop thinking about the result and do something you enjoy.Ā After all thatās said and done, take some time to forget about the result and look forward to the future and the possibilities you have open for you. Thereās hopefully only one way forward, and thatās up :)
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