Bouncing Back from a Bad Grade
School is full of tests and assignments. Teachers are constantly evaluating learning and progress. Whether it’s a project, activity, essay, or exam, you’re likely to get a grade back in return. Under pressure to do well, students often become incredibly focused on what that number or letter score is. One bad grade can ruin the whole day and leave you feeling dismayed. But it’s important to take each grade in stride and look at the bigger picture.
Remember It’s Only One Score
Chances are, you receive multiple grades per week in each class, and one score is not going to make or break your entire grade. It is only a percentage of your final grade, and scoring well on other tests and assignments can bring it up. Don’t beat yourself up over a result that was worse than you had hoped; focus on what you can do moving forward.
Figure Out What Went Wrong
Take a look at your exam or assignment to see where you lost points. Was it a specific skill you struggled with? Did you not follow the directions? Did you make silly mistakes because you forgot to double-check your work? Were you feeling stressed or sick and not performing your best that day? Should you have spent more time studying? There could be a variety of reasons why you didn’t receive the grade you anticipated.
Create a Plan
Once you see where mistakes were made, you can develop a plan to help you score better next time.
· Consider changing up how you take and organize your notes so you ensure that you’re not missing any important information.
· Create a schedule for studying so you have time to review your notes each day and see if there is anything that doesn’t make sense.
· Highlight or underline specific requirements in the directions so you remember exactly what you need to do.
· Write down each assignment and when it is due in your planner so nothing gets overlooked and you can organize your time more effectively.
· Learn strategies for reducing stress and anxiety before an exam so you can focus on doing your best and not letting your nerves distract you.
Ask for Help
If there is something that you don’t understand, talk to your teacher. See if you can get extra help, or if they have ideas for how you can better prepare for the next test or assignment. Sign up for tutoring so you can stay on top of tough subjects and reinforce what you’re learning in a different way. One-on-one instruction that is geared toward your strengths and learning style could be just what you need to overcome challenges. Tutoring can also help you improve your organization and study skills so you can enhance your preparation and performance in class.
Crafting Scholars offers tutoring for individual subjects as well as test preparation for standardized exams and help with improving study skills. Don’t let one bad grade get you down; brush yourself off and put in the effort to turn things around. Contact Crafting Scholars today to schedule your first session.