How to Recover from a Rough Semester
Saturday, January 24th, 2009
Whether you’re just starting out, or you’ve fallen into a rough patch, nearly every college student has a tough semester now and then. It may seem like the end of your world, but the fact is that in the grand scheme of things, a bad semester doesn’t have to be devastating and can be very easy to recover from. Here we’ll discuss how you can bounce back from a tough semester.
Withdraw from your courses. If you’re really bombing, and there’s still time, just take the W and save your GPA from the low grades you’re going to get.
Don’t let it get you down. Avoid getting psyched out for your next semester. One patch of bad grades won’t doom you to dropping out of college, but you’ve got to stay positive and know that you can in fact come back. One semester accounts for only about 1/8 of your total GPA-if you can do well in the future, there’s no reason why this batch of bad grades should keep you down.
Figure out what’s wrong. Are you having trouble at home? Have you been hanging out with friends who distract you from your work? Maybe you’re in the wrong major, or you’re taking courses that are too advanced for your level of study. Whatever the cause, get to the root of it so that you’ll be able to do better the next time around.
Try to take them again. Sit down with your advisor and explain that you haven’t been doing well. Ask for the opportunity to take the course again and replace your new grade with the old one from your bad semester.
Keep your eye on the prize. Even if you’re just scooting in to the finish line on your last thread, it still counts. Getting a degree is still getting your degree, no matter what GPA you end up with. Be proud that you’re muddling through and will be a college graduate before long, as long as you stay on track.
A rough semester may feel terrible, but it’s absolutely a situation that you can bounce back from. Stay confident in yourself, ask for help, and resolve to do better next time.
