Student Life >> Browse Articles >> Social Life
Oops! You’ve Been Flunked!
Surprisingly, failing is not the end of the world.
By Chris Diehl
April 21, 2009
“Failure paves the way to success!” is the last thing you want to hear when you fail a class. A bad grade isn’t life or death, and maybe you can improve the situation.
Remember, every school has their own policies, so check with your college to find out its policy for failed classes and withdrawals.
Situation 1: I feel an F coming. Help!
You don’t understand the material. You skipped classes. Whatever the reason, the withdrawal period has passed and you’re drowning. What are your options?
- Talk to your professor: Ask about extra credit or rewrites to improve your grade. Show that you want to succeed and you may get more leeway at the end of the semester.
- Visit your school’s academic counseling office: Counseling offices offer assistance with time management, tutoring and test preparation.
- Ask about tutoring: If available, enroll immediately. It might be possible to catch up in your class after a few one-on-one sessions.
- Ask your classmates for assistance: Ask to review notes from a day you missed or for help on a concept that they understand and you do not.
If you were out sick, “don’t just go back to class,” says Joyce Stern, dean for student academic support and advising at Grinnell College. “Ask the professor for an appointment to meet in the office hours to review some material that [you] might have missed.”
The problem won’t solve itself. “[Students] need to be honest with themselves about the evidence that’s coming in,” says Stern. “Have they missed a lot of class? Was their first quiz an F, their first test an F? Are they starting to become afraid to go to class?” Muster the courage to talk to your professor, crack open that book and salvage what you can.
RonalynnR
1 day ago
It's called "character building." haha, after graduating it's something you can laugh about. Failing a class is sometimes more political in nature than you "didn't understand the material." keep your spirits up; what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Repeating classes shows you won't give up easily. Don't be the big fish in a small pond; explore what's out there and tackle those challenges! I've failed my fair share of classes and if anything, it's helped me search within, understand and accept myself more. Easy A's are quickly forgotten, but repeated classes build memories, lol.
VictoriaS992
3 days ago
I've failed a few core classes my first couple of years but once I got into my major, it stopped. Well I made it into SCAD Atlanta and the classes are so hard and intense, I got a C in one of my classes. I'd normally be happy about that but a C is mainly an F at SCAD and they dropped a big scholarship of mine. I am so mad about it! And the sad part is, I am still busting my balls this quarter and I STILL may not get my scholarship back. I don't know that I'm going to do. I'm freaking out about it.
BurnellC
over 2 years ago
KEEP YOUR HEAD UP BRIT. YOU CAN ONLY GO UP.
BrittanyY55
over 2 years ago
This has been really helpful. I failed my first class ever this past semester, and I seriously cried for days about it. I finally realized that I was the only one upset about it however, no one at the university cares, that's just more tuition money for them when I'm retaking the course this fall.
BurnellC
over 2 years ago
WELL I JUST GOT A "D" IN PSYCHOLOGY AND I AM VERY UPSET. I HAVE TO HAVE A "C" OR BETTER TO GET INTO MY MAJOR. SO THIS MEANS I HAVE TO TAKE SUMMER CLASS TO BOOST NOT ONLY MY GRADES BACK UP BUT MY GPA AS WELL. YOU GUYS TAKE SCHOOL SERIOUSLY, I THOUGHT THAT IF I CRAMED RIGHT BEFORE A TEST THAT I WOULD DO FINE. WELL, THAT 'S NOT YOUR BEST AND YOU SHOULD NOT ACCEPT THAT.