We hit that rough time in the semester. That's right, right after midterms when people start panicking about their grades and how to get — or keep — their GPA up to what they want.
Right after midterms is so critical because in most classes, you have had at least one exam and you still have the option at most universities to drop the class or change the grading option. I encourage you, not all hope is lost if you are struggling at this point.
For those who see themselves behind where they want to be. Dropping class, or changing the grading option, is always a valid way to go. I have been there before, and dropped a class, and even changed the grading option to pass/fail because I was struggling in some classes. There are other ways though. Many different universities have tutoring that is free of charge because you pay for it in your tuition.
For example, BGSU has the Learning Commons. The other thing is office hours that professors or graduate assistants hold. Professors can seem intimidating because they have tons of education, and they are the ones that are grading all of your work, but if you approach them, they are willing to help. The only exception is when you wait until the last two weeks then go ask for extra credit. They are not willing to help. Your college professors are people, and really just want to help you out to the best of their abilities. After all, if you do not pay to go to school and be taught, many college professors would be out of a job.
The last resource I am going to mention is your classmates. If you haven't already, it might be a good time to make some friends in your class. Your peers can hold you accountable, and they could very much so help you understand information that you didn't get in class. Or if you unfortunately miss, they could give you the notes you missed. This isn't high school where you can just skate by, college gets hard.
For those of you who are where you want to be, don't get too comfortable. You may be passing your classes, and getting As or Bs on all of your assignments, but you still need to try. Just because you did well the first half of the semester does not mean you will do well the second half. You still need to go to class, and complete all of your assignments with a good amount of effort put into them.
Overall, just never stop trying. You have made it this far, so you can make it the rest of the way. It's never too late to get a grade up.
Whether it be your first year in college or your fourth, you can make it through the second half, with flying colors.
