How to Handle That Bad Grade

How do you handle that bad grade?

We all want to be as successful as possible in college, but we can’t let our successes be defined by bad exam grades. Granted, not all of the classes you take in college will be easy. Honestly, as an engineer the harsh reality is that most of your classes will be hard – whether the material is difficult, the professor isn’t good at teaching, or you don’t like what you’re learning.

It’s the first month of school and you have your first Physics 212 exam. You’ve been going to office hours, doing your homework all semester, and even went to all of the review sessions. Basically, you put all of your effort and will into this exam. During the exam, you’re flying through the exam and feel like you actually know how to answer these questions. And then after the exam you and your friends take a trip downtown to Insomnia Cookies since you all worked so hard for that exam and of course you always have to treat yo’ self! Days go by and then you wake up one morning to see an email from PSU scanning reports… you scroll all the way down to email and you see your grade…46%, Right now you’re probably feeling so many mixed emotions and you just don’t know what to do. There are many things you can do but one thing you should not do.

What to do:

Take some time to digest that exam grade. There are two phases that one goes through after seeing a bad exam grade; indulgence and correction. The first phase is indulgence and it can mean a variety of things- whether it be watching a funny movie, ordering all the food you can on Order Up, or just sulking. My personal favorite is to go to Little Szechuan and then go get some ice cream. In addition, while eating all of that food, I will sit there and just complain to my friends. Keep in mind, it is okay to cry and/or sulk about the bad grade; it’s something that happens to everyone and nothing to be ashamed of. The second phase is correction. DO NOT be embarrassed by this bad grade, in fact take this grade as an opportunity to improve. Go to your professor and talk to him/her about this grade. Figure out a game plan with them- different ways you can improve your studying, and other resources to help you out. In addition to talking to your professor, talk to some upperclassmen or your WEPO mentor; odds are they have been in your situation at some point. They can offer you valuable advice and maybe even their past notes that have helped them get through that class.

What NOT to do:

SURRENDER to the bad grade

Disclaimer, the story I just told you is something that actually happened to me. Trust me, I know how hard it is to see that bad grade. I know it’s discouraging to get a 46% when you put all your effort into one exam. When you see that bad grade you might just want to give up and not study for the next exam. But the thing everyone needs to understand is not everyone is perfect and bad grades happen. If you do get a bad grade, do not let that stop you from achieving your dreams. If you want to be a Mechanical Engineer you will be one, as long as you keep in mind your end goal. As women who is a part of SWE and the Women in Engineering Program, you will have so many resources and people who are there to help you at all costs. Even if that means staying up with you till 2am teaching you Math 141. In the end, keep your eye on the prize and you will get there. As an engineer who has had her fair share of bad grades, at one point I wanted to give up, but I kept pushing through. I have learned so much and that has led to me getting an internship at the end of my sophomore year. Anything is possible if you keep your eyes on the end goal and whatever happens in between, happens. Just keep pushing through or as Dory likes to say “Just keep swimming”.

Anuja Jonnalagadda is a junior majoring in Mechanical Engineering and is a Mentor for WEPO'16!