It was an objectively easy midterm by everybody’s standards. A lot of the problems were from our homework assignments. However, I still came out of that midterm, feeling as if I failed it (or got a 70). The first few problems of the test were extremely easy, but then I reached three problems that threw me off… I spent maybe the rest of the class period trying to figure them out but to no avail… so I just put down some incorrect answers. The thing is, each is worth 15 points. If I didn’t get them exactly right, then I will get a 55. No partial credit allowed. On top of that, I may have gotten the other “easier” questions wrong… Anyway, I talked to a classmate about those three problems afterwards, and now I completely understand the process of how to do them. In retrospect, it should’ve been obvious and simple to me… but I think I’m just really stupid, and now I’m depressed as heck.
Another weird thing is that… I’m competing academically with someone in that class, and I’m pretty sure he did much better than me on that test. Now, I can’t stop these feelings of incompetency and inferiority. Am I just stupid for not being able to do well on tests? I always do well on homework assignments and study a few days in advance.
Why am I so stupid that I can’t do well on tests? How do I defeat these ill feelings? I’m so upset that I can’t focus on studying for my upcoming midterms or finish my homework for next week. Help?
Stop that and start competing with yourself. I agree with post #1 that first priority would be asking the professor for tips – “What do your most successful students do to do well in this class?” I got a 37 on the second midterm of a class last semester and still escaped with a B. You can probably pull this out, too.
Definitely don’t compete with someone else. Down that road lies laying awake at night stewing over that person’s better grade, instead of sleeping.
Ask your professor. Additionally, whenever you get a test, read every question and do the easier ones first so you don’t lose points rushing them at the end.
I got a 53% on a midterm last year and got an A. It’s the beginning of the semester and you have plenty of time to turn things around.
Math problems seem almost always easy after you have seen the correct answer. That doesn’t mean that they are actually easy to solve. I think it’s a good sign that you completely understood the answer, that means that you at least know and understand the relevant material.
Don’t quit, don’t give up, don’t go immediately to calling yourself “stupid.” And, don’t just stand there and cry, figure out how to solve your problem then take the steps to do it. Doing well takes a lot of effort and a lot of hunger to do well on your part (not because you are competing to do better than someone else). Your professor has office hours for a reason, there are academic help services at your school for a reason, and as many posters noted above, a low grade on one test may not sink you in the end if you take action to improve how you go about the process of studying and do some stress management when faced with tests. Lastly, your head will not blow off if you don’t get an A. You may not like getting less than an A, but I promise, it won’t kill you.
^ Don’t ask if you can retake it. It just makes you look like someone who’s after the grade. Learn from the experience and figure out more effective study methods for your next exam.
GO TO CLASS, BUY THE BOOK, READ THE CHAPTERS, AND DO THE HOMEWORK!
Go to Professor’s office hours early in the semester and Ask this question: “I know this is a really difficult class-- what are some of the common mistakes students make and how can I avoid them?”
If you have problems with the homework, go to Prof’s office hours. If they have any “help sessions” or “study sessions” or “recitations” or any thing extra, go to them.
Form a study group with other kids in your dorm/class.
Don’t do the minimum…for STEM classes do extra problems. You can buy books that just have problems for calculus or physics or whatever. Watch videos on line about the topic you are studying.
Go to the writing center if you need help with papers/math center for math problems (if they have them)
If things still are not going well, get a tutor.
Read this book: How to Become a Straight-A Student: The Unconventional Strategies Real College Students Use to Score High While Studying Less by Cal Newport. It helps you with things like time management and how to figure out what to write about for a paper, etc.
If you feel you need to withdraw from a class, talk to your advisor as to which one might be the best …you may do better when you have less classes to focus on. But some classes may be pre-reqs and will mess your sequence of classes up.
For tests that you didn’t do well on, can you evaluate what went wrong? Did you never read that topic? Did you not do the homework for it? Do you kind of remember it but forgot what to do? Then next time change the way you study…there may be a study skill center at your college.
How much time outside of class do you spend studying/doing homework? It is generally expected that for each hour in class, you spend 2-3 outside doing homework. Treat this like a full time job.
At first, don’t spend too much time other things rather than school work. (sports, partying, rushing fraternities/sororities, video gaming etc etc)
If you run into any social/health/family troubles (you are sick, your parents are sick, someone died, broke up with boy/girlfriend, suddenly depressed/anxiety etcetc) then immediately go to the counseling center and talk to them. Talk to the dean of students about coordinating your classes…e.g. sometimes you can take a medical withdrawal. Or you could withdraw from a particular class to free up tim for the others. Sometimes you can take an incomplete if you are doing well and mostly finished the semester and suddenly get pneumonia/in a car accident (happened to me)…you can heal and take the final first thing the next semester. But talk to your adviser about that too.
At the beginning of the semester, read the syllabus for each class. It tells you what you will be doing and when tests/HW/papers are due. Put all of that in your calendar. The professor may remind you of things, but it is all there for you to see so take initiative and look at it.
Make sure you understand how to use your online class system…Login to it, read what there is for your classes, know how to upload assignments (if that is what the prof wants).
If you get an assignment…make sure to read the instructions and do all the tasks on the assignment. Look at the rubric and make sure you have covered everything.
If you are not sure what to do, go EARLY to the professors office hours…not the day before the assignment is due.
You might think that this is all completely obvious, but I have read many stories on this and other websites where people did not do the above and then are asking for help on academic appeal letters.