Bad Test Grade, don't really know what to do.

I am not sure if this is the right forum to write this on but it did fall under the test category so here it goes… I just received back a test grade from my math class(I’m a freshman in college) and it is horrible. My first test grade was bad and I said to myself that I was going to do much better on this one. I studied and felt super confident in my answers when I turned in the test and now I find out I did horrible, its even more frustrating because most of this is a review for me of stuff from high school that I know. I was really looking forward to having a really good GPA to because I was planning on transferring to Columbia or NYU but now I feel like that has all gone down the drain. I know its only 2 test grades but it feels like I have no chance now.

Focusing on your disadvantages or failures will not help anything at the moment so my suggestion to you is to keep moving towards your goal no matter what. I understand it is hard to not to lose your focus with all of these non-deserved failures happening, however this is the way that life is. You may face even more hardships but the key is to ignore them.

Personally I am not a very religious person but somehow I really do believe everything happens for a reason. Maybe you believe it just to ease yourself, maybe it is really the way it is. I do not know. Trust your process and keep up the good work. Along the way stop and evaluate your process. Plan ahead. Be aware of the place you are in right now and the place you want to be. Maybe watching some motivational videos or TED talks will also help. The process is painful but it may also be rewarding if you do not give up.

Most of the things I mentioned are cliches,I know. But sometimes they do work.

Be the controller of your own destiny. Do not let the universe or your grades decide for you. I truly get your frustration because I am in a similar phase in my life right now. I guess this deep frustration is also a part of the process. Unfortunately you have to pay a lot to get the things you want. Whenever you feel bad, try to motivate yourself. Be your own hero.

Sorry, this is a long cliche answer to your entry but I just wanted to remind you these things. I hope the best for you, hope you will be able to achieve all of your dreams :slight_smile:

Thanks for the amazing advice!

Try not to focus on the eventual transfer. Try to focus on what you can do to bring your grade up between now and the end of the semester. Go to office hours and ask for advice, go to TA led study sessions, go to academic support sessions, look for classmates to study with, online resources, whatever it takes. Focus on where you are and what you can do now.

Get a tutor ASAP and also read this:
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-life/1920853-college-is-a-step-up-from-hs-16-tips-on-doing-well-in-college.html

Math is a visual/spatial skill but is typically taught in a sequential manner (the opposite learning style of visual/spatial). So, it is up to the student to make the conversion.

Do the problem sets and keep figuring out WHY you are doing what you are doing. Set them down for a while and come back to it and see if it still makes sense. Don’t learn just the steps as it is easy to twist math problems around and those steps just don’t cut it. Learn the WHY.