YouAlberta
It is completely normal for university students to receive a bad grade on a midterm at least once in their university journey. I feel like there is always at least one class every semester that gives me nightmares of failing the course. There always seems to be one giant hurdle that sits amongst your other courses, just to hamper your GPA.
However, it is important for students to acknowledge that if they are dealing with such a course (or courses), it is not because they are not intellectual and skilled enough to deal with it. Rather, it is because we are all different with different capabilities and sometimes a course is just not for us!
The first time I encountered such a course was in my first fall semester. My bad midterm grade from that course gave me a gigantic shock. After the bad midterm grade, I was left with nothing but low morale and was starting to question myself — would I even be able to pass the course? I spoke to a friend about my low morale and how much I was struggling with the course. In turn, my friend told me to ask myself: Do you think you can be perfect in every class you take?
And the answer is no!! No one can be perfect in every class they take. (I was reminded that I even wrote about the pressure to be perfect, and came to the conclusion that Nobody Is Perfect.) There are some classes you love, some that you like, and some that you just simply dislike. There is nothing wrong with disliking a class. Sometimes classes don’t align with our passion and interests. However, they are there for a reason, and the reason is that you are required to have at least the basic knowledge of the subject. This does not mean that you cannot dislike the class, it just means that you have to somehow steer your way through it. I have steered my way from such courses for almost four semesters now.
It usually takes until a midterm or a major assignment in a course for someone to realize whether the course is for them or not. If it is not, then all you’ve got is the time between the last day of the semester until your first final exam to save your GPA and pass that course. Since it is the end of the semester, it’s time to give it your best last shot!
This starts with having a good study plan and not feeling discouraged from putting in the effort. It is important to set a plan of action for yourself, to actually give your best shot at bouncing back from a bad grade. First, make what I call a priority list: list the names of all the courses with a final and your overall grade for each course at this point. Based on that, fill in your priority list with the number of study days you think you should dedicate to your courses. I usually spend the most amount of time on the courses I am struggling the most with, so that I pass its final and spend comparatively lesser time on the courses in which I have been performing well. I also plan my scheduled study days in a fashion that allows me to access office hours if I need to (which I usually do!).
[Editor’s note: Check out this list of study tips from the Academic Success Centre for more advice.]
Once my priorities are set here’s what my plan of action looks like:
Set an alarm
The time you want to wake up in the morning will vary from student to student, as some of us are night owls while the rest are early birds. (Take a look at Sandy’s article about energy levels for more insight about how to structure a schedule that works for you.) However, deciding a wake-up time and abiding by it helps me save a lot of time from oversleeping. It is also important to acknowledge that 6–8 hours of sleep is a must for you to perform well in the finals and stay healthy.
Do a mini exercise
Doing a short yoga or Zumba session after waking up helps me refresh both my mind and body. It helps me relieve myself of the “final exams stress” and lets me be more productive throughout the day.
Do not skip your breakfast or any meal of the day
It is very important to not skip your meals of the day with the idea of saving time. A skipped meal leads to a low energy level which in turn hampers your ability to focus and learn.
Start studying
When it’s time to study, keep your phone aside and turn off all the notifications. I try not to face my bed while studying as it makes me sleepy and craving a nap. Keep water on your table so that you don’t have to leave your study space often. Lastly, don’t forget to take a short break every hour or so.
Take a 30-minute nap
A 30-minute nap after lunchtime helps me re-energize myself and lets me focus more, feeling refreshed.
Get back to studying
Follow everything as mentioned earlier. Set aside 20 minutes after you’ve finished studying and use 10 minutes of this time to take a walk, either outside or within your house. Once the walk is done, review everything that you studied that day.
Go to bed on time
It is important to sleep on time so that you get the appropriate sleep needed for you to start your next day on a fresh note.
Don’t forget to take a deep breath during this entire process. Final exams can be overwhelming however, you can only give it your best shot and hope for the best in turn. One bad final is not going to ruin your life; it’s time to confront the exam season!