The Four Steps After Failing Your Midterm

By Samantha Nitz

Everyone knows the feeling. You're sitting in class, waiting for the professor to place that little green book upside down on your desk. Head pounding, palms sweating, you start to reassure yourself. Of course it couldn't be that bad, you studied a bit, didn't you?

As first quarter finishes up its first set of midterms, many students are finding it difficult to adjust back into the school and study lifestyle. Midterms, which were returned in hordes this week, have already become a stain in student's first quarter memories.

So, you failed your midterm... what steps should you take now?

Calm Down and Breathe Deeply
Of course when that test is first flipped over and that number registers, everyone will freak out a little bit.
Hopefully your mental will is strong enough to suspend a full on panic attack or at least hold back the tears for a while. Try to hold it together until you're no longer around the professor and your fellow students. Public displays of anxiety never do anyone any good.

Once you leave class, find some friends quickly. Don't necessarily tell them the score, just mention you didn't do as well as you were hoping and let them shower you with other compliments. If you'd rather not let your friends know at all, take a walk around campus

Take it in, breathe the fresh air, realize the test and score are over and done, and get ready to take the next step.

Talk to Your Professors
Though it may seem like one of the scariest acts possible, it's one of the most important: go to office hours or set up a meeting with your professor.

When your scheduled meeting time finally comes around, bring your test with you and a new resolve to do better. Make sure to go over the test and figure out why you got things wrong. Not learning the concepts correctly will result in another low score somewhere down the road. No one wants to have to repeat these steps more than once.

If you're feeling ambitious, redo some homework problems centered on the concept that you messed up on on the test. It's important to feel really confident about everything you've learned.

Learning from your mistakes is one of the most crucial aspects of this process. After all, those who don't know history will repeat it.

Look to do Better Next Time Around
It may seem like the end of the world at first, but don't start dissipating your dreams as soon as you see that low score. Everyone messes up occasionally, but what really matters is what you do to correct it.

There are thousands of resources available to Santa Clara students so take a breath, talk to your professor and start exploring what some of those are. Keep in mind that when a quarter begins and you start to feel a class isn't a good fit, it's okay to drop.

The good news about the quarter system is that your first midterm is not likely to be your last. So, you have time to assess your knowledge, follow these steps and look to do better the next time around. Failing a midterm may be shocking and upsetting at first, but it's important to remember there are many steps you can and should take to fix the situation.

Learn to Love the Library
Luckily for Santa Clara students, the library is a beautiful place.

It's got comfortable chairs and a handy coffee and refreshment bar that works miracles during long nights. If you haven't been yet, go now and get accustomed to it. Better yet, find a study buddy and bring them along too because if you fail your midterm, you better crack down and start acing everything else.

For the majority of us who fail at math, check out the Sussman Room, O'Connor Hall, room 31, for life-saving help. The Sussman Room can be a great resource when studying for exams but also helps when working on homework.
Look at it this way: it's only fall quarter. You'll probably have nine more midterms this year.

Contact Samantha Nitz at snitz@scu.edu.