Unlike in high school, in college almost your entire grade is based upon a couple of tests. Because of this, doing badly on a test can feel like a huge blow and finding the motivation to come back from that or knowing how to deal with failure can be hard. So here are some tips to recover from a bad test and make the most of a bad situation.
1. Give yourself some time to be upset.
As much as people can tell you that there is no use worrying about things that you can’t change, sometimes you just can’t help being upset. Instead of pushing this aside take some time to be upset about a bad test grade. That being said wallowing over a bad grade won’t do much to improve it, so be sure that it you keep this to a minimum.
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2. Figure out where you went wrong.
Even though going over a test you did bad on might be the last thing you want to do after you get the score back the truth is that test material tends to build upon itself. If the same kinds of questions are asked in the next test you want to be able to get them right this time. So spend some time going over what you got wrong and be honest about the reasons why you got it wrong. Did you not study enough? Did you have text anxiety? Did you not read the question correctly? Figuring out the reason why you got things wrong will make it much easier to correct the problem.
3. Try something new.
Chances are that if you did really terribly on a test then whatever you are currently doing isn’t working, so change it. This can be just studying more or finding some new way of studying (like using flashcards). If studying alone isn’t working for you then try utilizing a study group.
4. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Even though they can sometimes seem intimidating you have to remember that your professors are there to help you so don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it and the best way to do this is simply to go to a professor’s office hours. If you can’t make it to office hours because of prior commitments, most professors will even go out of their way to set up an appointment with you so you can have your questions answered.
5. Don’t give up.
Most importantly you have to remember that one bad test grade is not a death sentence and thinking of it as such will probably just make the situation worse. Remember that you still have chances to improve your grade and that you have to stay motivated and keep working hard if you want to turn your grade around.
