Q&A for How to Deal With a Bad Grade

Hi there. This may be because the material is getting more difficult, and you may not be studying correctly -- at least not for you. Try speaking with your teacher and reviewing your study habits to see how you can change your approach.

Tell and show them. Ask about make-ups or extra credit and study harder for the next exam. Look at where you went wrong to get your bad grade and ask him/her for help in that area. You'll prove that you are better by putting in the hard work.

Not at all! Everyone gets bad grades; even that 'smart' kid in class gets a bad grade.

No, you're not becoming dumber. You may have been slacking off in your studies or losing focus, or perhaps you're pushing yourself too hard and are stressed and overtired. Evaluate what's going on with you and make the necessary changes.

Do your best and take your time. Also, skip over the question that is hard and answer the other questions. Then come back to the hard question(s). Don't panic, it's a waste of energy and reveals that you're overly focused on the future rather than being in the present and respecting yourself.

The sooner the better. You get it out of the way and you can get on with studying harder to improve next time. Leaving it will just make you feel more and more anxious and can cause your parents to wonder why you didn't tell them any earlier.

Try to keep them calm and don't confront them until you can tell that they feel like talking about the situation calmly. As you tell them, do not get mouthy -- be humble and penitent.

First, remember that you are worth more than just one grade. There are many great things about you that have nothing to do with your grades, and just getting one bad grade doesn't mean you're doomed to fail. Then, try making a list of how you can try to avoid getting bad grades in the future, like studying hard, reviewing material before tests, and checking in with your teachers regularly to track your progress.

Are you doing the full working out in class or just copying down the teacher's working out or relying on friends? Do you study enough? Don't leave test preparation until the night before an exam or quiz. It's best to start studying for these things at least a week in advance, and for finals, a month in advance.

Most likely one bad grade is not going to cause your teacher to rethink your placement in that class. Everyone gets bad grades sometimes. You might consider just having a quick chat with your teacher before or after class about this. Say something like, "I know I got a bad grade on this week's test, but that grade didn't accurately reflect my abilities. I'll be working harder in the future, so it shouldn't happen again."

Yes, you should. You are definitely not the first student to talk to her about a bad grade. Being a teacher, she'll understand your concern and should be willing to listen and help. When you talk to her, make sure to be very polite and show that you really want to improve. She may not allow you to re-take the test, but she'll almost certainly give you tips on how to do better next time.

Be more confident in yourself and find out why you worry about bad grades. If the pressure is from parents or teachers having high expectations, you can always turn to friends or siblings who will support you. If you are the sort of person who just has high expectation of yourself, remember that everyone is human and people won't look down on you if you get one bad grade. Relax, have fun sometimes and don't stress about it - grades aren't a measure of your personality or success in life.

Review your homework and past tests, and ask your teacher for advice (after all, they have lots of experience) or to help you on what you don't get.

Try not to panic, and ask your teacher how you can raise your grade. Remember, there are other assignments that contribute to your final grade, including past tests and quizzes, homework, classwork, and class participation.

It's okay. Remain calm and try your best on the next exam. Take this experience as a lesson.

You should try and ask you're friends for help. Don't be afraid to, you can also ask your teacher if there is extra credit or corrections. Normally, some teachers won't allow corrections, but if you have a good statement about why you should, then the teacher might consider the possibility for make-ups. You can also get a tutor, or simply take notes and study them in advance.

Quizzes often happen with little to no notice, while tests are announced further in advance. Instead of studying just for a test, practice your math skills daily to prepare for pop quizzes.

This is quite simple - talk to them about how and why you got it. After this, establish a game plan to get your grade up, and then go through with this. Most parents care more about your final quarter grade, so just keep that up. Also, use this as a leaning experience and do better next time.

Talk to the teacher to see if you can make it up. Don't expect your teacher to agree but if you come across as genuine and willing to try harder, this might work out for you.

Think about why you are really jealous. Do the grades matter to you very much? Are your own grades lower than what you wanted? You could work hard to improve your own grades. Or, are your grades fine and hers are just better, and that makes you upset because you don't like her? If that's the case, it might be better to just stop worrying about her grades. Remind yourself that there are reasons you do not like her, and just because she gets better grades doesn't mean she is a better person than you.

Talk to them about your plans for improving your grades in the future, then show them you are serious by sticking to a study plan and working hard to bring up your marks.

Keep trying and talk to your teacher. He may be able to suggest ways to study or understand the information better, or can offer tutoring or extra credit.

If they ask you about the grade, relax and explain briefly but calmly how and why you got those scores and how you plan to improve your grade.

If your teacher will not give you any options to raise your grade, the only thing you can do is try and get the highest possible grades on your remaining assignments for the year (or semester). Study hard and try to participate in class. Some teachers simply don't offer extra credits or make-up tests, and that is their decision.

In elementary school, you shouldn't be too worried about raising your grades. Focus on learning instead. Talk to your teacher about any subjects that you're struggling with, like math; they can give you some additional help or assign a tutor to you that can help.

Remember that everyone gets a bad grade every once in a while. No one is perfect. One grade is not going to pull down your grade point average substantially. Just try harder next time, and make sure to ask your teacher if you have any questions about the material.

Just take a deep breath and open it.

Don't beat yourself up. Try harder or get a tutor and learn from your mistakes.

You don't have to like them. Just treat them with respect. Do your assignments and do your best on the tests and you won't have any problems with your teacher. Remember that the situation isn't permanent. This person will be out of your life in less than a year and you'll never have to think about them again.

A B+ is never objectively a bad grade, but you are free to have your own feelings and standards. It's normal to feel bad when you do worse at something than you are used to doing. Don't beat yourself up over it, and if you think you can do better, just work harder at that subject in the future.