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10 Things To Do When You're Failing A Class

  1. Figure Out What the Root of the Problem

Be honest with yourself - what do you think is not working? Is the class moving too fast? Have you not been reading or studying the material? Do not have enough background experience in this subject? Look for things that are under your control to change and then see what and where you can do to make improvements.

  1. Stop Procrastinating

Everyone procrastinates but minimizing or eliminating it is one of the best ways to pass a class. Try your best to do things at the first opportunity. Organize yourself with a planner or calendar and don’t allow yourself to push things back to work on “later”.

  1. Change Your After-Class Habits

After every class, review your notes and write a paragraph summary of everything you learned that day. That will help you retain the information easier.

  1. Go to Tutoring & SI Sessions

Go to tutoring. Even when you don’t feel like it, even if you’re not sure it’ll help, even if you feel you’re too far behind, go to your tutoring center and get help. This is a key way to get 1:1 support or to review things that were discussed too quickly for you in class.

  1. Talk to Your Professor

Professors have office hours for a reason. Go there and talk to your professor about the issue. Be sincere with your professor about what is going on and ask them what they think will work best in your case.  Try to show them that you want to do anything to help better your grades. Most importantly? Go EARLY. A professor can’t do a lot to help you if you show up in the final weeks of the semester. Go to office hours early and get help when it’s still possible to make changes.

  1. Seek Help from Other Students

Sometimes, the person next to you might have the answer that you are seeking! There have been many times in my college experience when the only reason that I passed certain classes were because of my peers. Ask around and I promise that someone will have fantastic input on what you are doing incorrectly. This will also be a great way to make friends at your university for future classes because just as much as you might need someone, they might be in search of your assistance as well.

  1. Speak to Your Advisor

The advisors at your university are paid to assist you in situations like these. Most of them should even have information on which classes might not be advisable to take in the same semester, or secrets that have worked in the past for other students.

  1. Change Your Diet/Sleep Schedule

Believe it or not, diet and sleep can have a big effect on your school work. An unhealthy diet or a poor sleep routine can really alter the way we feel and in turn, the way we learn new material. Make an effort to eat healthier, work out, or get more restful sleep.  You will feel better and in return you will begin to perform better. Also, drink more water. Hydration can always help improve your health and ability to focus.

  1. Withdraw

After you have tried everything you can possibly try, if you are still struggling, consider going ahead and drop the course. No one wants to drop a course but having a withdraw is preferable to failing. If it comes down to it, withdraw and retake the class the following  term.

  1.  Go to the Career Center

One of the hardest things to realize might be that you are just in the wrong major. If all of your courses feel impossible, you’ve sought out help, and you’ve tried to change your study and health habits to no avail, consider if this is the right path for you. Go to your advisor and career center and see what might be a better fit for your skills. There are assessments that can help you figure out what major would suit you a lot better.