It seems as if every year the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas break have more work, essays, tests and quizzes than the entire beginning of the semester. That being said, it’s common to get a bad grade here and there while you’re trying to juggle the amped up work load. While nobody likes getting a bad grade, it is inevitable sometimes, so when this happens stay calm. Here are some tips on how to handle bad grades as they may come in.
Don’t freak out. Take a deep breath, because getting worked up won’t do any good, it will only stress you out more.
Take some time away from your Sakai site. Don’t keep going back and looking at the grade over and over again, unfortunately the number is not going to change.
Go and talk to your professor. We are lucky enough at SLU to have professors who genuinely care about their students, so they will be more than happy to sit down with you and go over where you went wrong.
Read over the material and correct your mistakes. Even though that test is over, finals are coming up and the material will reappear so making sure you understand it now will only benefit you in the future.
Use your resources: sign up for a tutor, attend study sessions, go to the QRC for math/science related work or word studio for essays and presentations.
Use this mistake to fuel motivation in the future: in that class, don’t let it discourage you. One bad grade won’t ruin your GPA, so bounce back and do better next time.