We all know the feeling. You get an email saying your grades for an assignment or exam have been released, so you race to check OWL. Tension and anticipation build inside you as you click toward gradebook and then you see it: the grade. Disappointment and fear start to set in as you take it in. “Why didn’t I do better?” you wonder to yourself. “Where did I go wrong?” You may beat yourself up for not studying enough or blame your professor for putting hard questions on the exam. Eventually, you come to accept the grade, vowing to study harder next semester.
Nobody likes getting bad grades. Whether you bombed an exam that you needed to ace or you thought you deserved better on an essay you worked hard on, we’ve all been there. With exams coming to an end and grades being released aplenty, here are some tips for what to do when you get a grade you’re less than thrilled with.
1. Don’t panic
Getting a bad grade can be scary, especially if it’s one that will affect other things down the line, such as remaining in your program or being eligible for grad school. As hard as it is, try to stay calm because, in my experience, freaking out usually makes you feel even worse. Assess the situation by talking it over with friends and family to see if you’re overreacting or if you need to take further action with the situation.
2. Give it time
There’s a reason for the rule that you can’t contest a grade within 24 hours of receiving it. In the heat of the moment, your emotions may get the best of you and you may not be thinking clearly. Your bad grade feels as though it’s the worst thing in the world and you’re desperate to do anything at all to fix it. You may be tempted to email your prof right away and ask them to meet to discuss your grade or ask them if there is any way they can bump your grade a few (or ten) percent. This is when you need to take a step back and take a breather. Shut your computer, go for a walk, see some friends, do whatever, while you process this new information. If you still feel like you want to contest your grade the next day, go for it. But give yourself enough time to take it all in, think it over, and figure out if you think you’ve been marked unfairly or if you’re just upset that you didn’t get the grade you wanted.
3. Don’t push your emotions away
“It’s just a grade, why are you so upset?” We’ve all heard this before. Your parents or your friends may not understand why you’re unhappy with your grade or think that you did well and you’re just being too hard on yourself. Don’t let them make you feel guilty for feeling what you’re feeling. It’s totally okay to be upset or angry when you don’t get the mark you were expecting. Let yourself feel your emotions rather than stuffing them away — have that cry or vent to your mom or best friend about it. This will probably lift your spirits and make things seem a little better, rather than pretending that they don’t exist.
4. Â Ask for help
Whether it’s academic counselling, a prof, a tutor, or a friend, reaching out for help when you’re struggling in a course is always a good idea. Didn’t study enough for the test? Ask a friend in the class to set up a study group for the next one. Worried that your bad grade is going to affect your chances of maintaining your status in your program? Go visit academic counselling. Want to know how to improve your essay writing for the next assignment? See your prof or TA to get a better idea of where you went wrong. Asking for help can seem scary, but in my experience, people are generally happy to help and I can guarantee you’ll feel so much better.
5.  Remember that it’s just a grade
If there’s anything I’ve learned in almost four years of university, it’s that your grades aren’t the most important thing in your life and are not a reflection of who you are as a person. While getting a bad grade can feel like the end of the world, it’s important to remember that everyone gets grades that they aren’t happy with. Take it in stride, let yourself feel sad, and come up with a plan of attack that’ll have you slaying your courses next semester. You’ve got this.
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