We’ve all been there: you’ve worked as hard as you can to study for an exam, and you get the paper back saying that you failed. Or maybe you just didn’t get the grade you wanted – either way, it’s a terrible feeling that we’ve all experienced. However, it’s important to put the grade behind you and deal with it rather than just wallowing in self-pity.
- Don’t compare marks
- Separate you and your grade
- Take responsibility
- Figure out what went wrong
- Make an action plan
Don’t compare marks
First of all, DON’T COMPARE MARKS WITH OTHER PEOPLE!!! This is super common, but it’s only going to make you feel worse. Don’t actively sabotage your self-esteem by asking people what they got! Pro tip: if people keep asking you what you got, go to the bathroom and listen to upbeat music. It’ll cheer you up AND you’ll avoid having to tell people your grade!
Separate you and your grade
What ever you do, do NOT treat your grade as proof of your moral failings. This is just one lousy exam – it is in no way evidence that you are a failure!!! Would you use your friend’s grades to determine if they are a worthy person? No! So stop using bad grades to tell yourself that you’re a bad person!
Take responsibility
Deflecting isn’t productive. Although it might make you feel better to blame the teacher or the mark scheme or the exam board for your bad mark, this won’t help you improve. Acknowledge that you made some mistakes, and therefore you didn’t get the grade you wanted. If that makes you feel like a failure, then you haven’t done step 2 properly!!! (Separating yourself and your grade)
Figure out what went wrong
You’ve cried, you’ve grieved, and now, onto the productive bit. Go through every single error you made on your exam. If the teacher won’t show you the mark scheme, then ask them what the answer was or just google it. Make sure you understand every question that was asked, especially the ones you got wrong.
Analyse what you did leading up to the exam as well – did you study for a shorter period of time? What revision techniques did you use? Did you cram, or did you space out your studying? Did you even study? Answering these questions can help you understand how you messed up and how you can prevent getting more bad grades.
Make an action plan
Now that you know how you’ve messed up, you need to decide how to move forward. For example, if you crammed the night before an exam and failed, then make sure you study a few weeks ahead. Get down to the root causes of your mistakes so that you know how to prevent them.
