I was just inspired to write this post when I received my organic chemistry test grade back. I studied for this exam in every way I could: practice problems, reading the textbook, doing all the homework, actively listening in class, going to office hours, etc. For some reason however, the grade I received was a failing grade. My hard work and dedication did not show on this test evidently. I was devastated.
This event prompted me to think: what am I going to do about this?
Here's the thing. We've already established time and time again on this blog that we're basically all hobbits going against the forces of the universe trying to accomplish a seemingly impossible goal. It sounds like a fun storyline, and it gets you excited to think that you're going on this epic adventure that will end up being the most rewarding experience of your lifetime; BUT, where we fall short is when the hard times come, it's hard to imagine how we will pull ourselves out of it.
Bad grades at the beginning of the semester are awful, because it means you were bad at the easiest stuff. Everyone knows that in science classes, the first two exams are going to be the most fairly written ones, with the third making everyone go "WTF!?!?!" and single handedly destroying everyone's grade except those who aced the first two (it's how they weed out the students). So you think "Maybe I'm not up for this. Maybe I should drop out of the class and do something easier."
That's great, for people who figure out that their passions lie elsewhere. But it's extremely disconcerting for students like us who literally cannot see ourselves doing anything else with our lives. So what do we do?
First, take a step back, and breathe. Check the syllabus for any grading rules. Make sure you know all of your options. Then, make a plan. The SAME DAY you get your test back, you're going to look over it, and go straight to office hours to get that test looked over and explained. This is of utmost importance, because this is where you get to ask the professor "what can I do to raise my grade from here?" and they'll actually be more than willing to help you! In fact, there have been professors known not to give any extra credit out, except to those that came to office hours regularly throughout the semester. SO GO. Like immediately.
Trust me when I say this is the biggest stress reliever you can give yourself after a bad grade. Once you reevaluate yourself, know exactly what you've done wrong, and made connections with the professor, you're almost guaranteed to do better on the second try. Plus, when you get to that third WTF test, you're going to have an advantage because the professor will give you hints on what the plot twists actually are on that test. This is seriously the secret to science classes, and I'm honestly so disappointed in myself for not figuring this out sooner.
Which is why I'm posting this. So other people don't make my mistakes.
Another piece of advice is make sure you know who grades the tests that are free-written. Since the grading is always biased based on the grader themselves, knowing what that particular person looks for can be the difference between a C and an A. The grading isn't always done by the professor. In my case, it's the TA's, and you best believe I'm going to be hunting down the TA that graded my test thinking "I will find you, and I will kill you".
Just kidding
But seriously. Hunt down those TA's.
Don't let the bad grades get you down.
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