I am the type of person who has always been studious when it has come to my schoolwork. As a kid, I wasn't as much, but when I got to high school I always made sure to get my homework done on time and that it was of the utmost quality. To me, I always thought that if I worked hard in high school then it would pay off in college, which it certainly has.
I try not to procrastinate my work. It always feels nice to have my work done early and not have to worry about it. This may sound ridiculous to some of you, but if I get anything lower than an A, I can be pretty devastated. If I get a B then I'll be upset about it for a while, but after thinking about it I get over it. There is no point in dwelling over it. But what happens when you do fail? Is it the end of the world? It can definitely feel that way. Trust me, I have been there. There are a few things that I recommend doing for whenever this happens.
It's okay to cry about it. I cried for a few minutes after I saw some of my grades. It isn't silly to cry over a grade. Sometimes it is okay to cry and simply knowing that it is okay; it is better than keeping it in. Also, do not put yourself down about it. This grade does not define you or how smart you are. Now that you have cried and let out all the emotions surrounding it, remind yourself that it is alright to get an F. It is not the end of the world, even though it may seem like it. As previously mentioned, it does not mean you are stupid, but just that you might need to change up your study habits.
Once you have the emotional side figured out, then try and talk to your professor/teacher or TA. Try and talk to them about your grade and figure out what went wrong. If they can talk with you about your test, ask them questions about your grade and what you did wrong. Also, see if they can walk you through the proper way to complete a problem or how to answer a question you got wrong. See if they have tips that you can use to help you study for the next test. Another important thing to do is to ask more questions in class. If you are like me and asking questions in class frightens you and you have this constant thought going on in your mind that asking questions makes you sound dumb, well just try and ignore those thoughts. That is easier said than done, but it can help. There is a high chance that there is someone else in the class that has the same question. Do not be afraid to raise your hand or go up to the teacher if you are confused about something in class.
If there is something that you really don't understand, then go to office hours. Even if you don't have questions, there can be other students there who have questions that you didn't even think about. Plus, you might think of more questions along the way. Take advantage of other resources your school has. My university has designated buildings that have tutors who have taken the same courses so they know how to help. They are extremely helpful. Depending on the class, many of the TA's have their own office hours. Try and see what resources your school has. It can be as simple as asking a few questions and next thing you know you are flying through that course!
You study habits may also need to be improved. Did you study while watching Netflix? That probably didn't help unless you are the type of person who needs noise going on in the background in order to study. Try rewriting your notes. Maybe start taking notes if you aren't already. Study groups can be a helpful tool as well (if you work better in groups). Groups can be beneficial for studying for a test or even get your homework done. There are multiple studying strategies out there. Just try and find out what works best for you!
The last advice I have to give you is to eat and sleep well before a test. You don't want your stomach to grumble in the middle of class or have your eyes feel as heavy as a bowling ball. You want to be in the best shape possible for your test. Make it goal to finish studying early the night before so you can have at least seven to eight hours of sleep. Stay off your phone and go to sleep!
Remember that even though it may feel like the end of the world, it's not. There is always room for improvement.
