Transparency Item: The Perspectives section of the Graphic is comprised of articles based on opinion. This is the opinion and perspective of the writer.
The semester has been ramping up with the imminence of finals week.
The end of every week feels like getting body slammed with only a couple of days to recover before the next round of classes starts all over again.
As a student who has had at least one exam every week until the end of the semester, the pain of being an academic victim is really sinking in.
It’s hard trudging through the semester. Burnout and academic disappointment can seem almost inevitable, especially when exams in difficult classes don’t turn out the best.
All the time and effort spent studying just wasn’t reflected in the grade, and that can be extremely frustrating and disheartening.
So what can a student do?
Get Some Rest
Crawling into bed and sleeping the depression away might sound like a great idea.
But, I believe allowing some time to properly rest and recover after receiving an unsatisfactory grade is an important step to bouncing back up.
I have personally found that spending time outside for fresh air, engaging in hobbies or indulging in a silly, little treat are good ways to give oneself space to recover.
After a bit of rest, it’s important to then review what went wrong.
“Failure is only failure if you don’t learn from it,” according to Forbes. “You actually learn more from failure than you do from success.”
Assess What Went Wrong
It is normal for students to experience some stress and anxiety around exam time, and a little nervousness can actually be beneficial for performance. However, when stress interferes with performance, it is known as test anxiety, according to Verywell Mind.
Alternatively, I also think overconfidence may have been a contributor to a low grade.
Multiple studies over the past several years have found that “students who perform poorly on exams tend to overestimate their grades compared to their performance,” according to a research article examining low-performing students.
The article also notes that one of the possible reasons for this outcome includes students disregarding past performance or partly basing their predictions on grades they wish to attain.
I believe study methods are also vital to examine, especially since it is something that can be controlled.
Personally, I prefer to use flashcards and test my knowledge by drawing concepts out on a whiteboard.
Listening to videos while exercising or doing chores is also a great way for me to generally review a topic, and discussing with my peers helps reinforce ideas.
Everyone has their own preferences as to how they study. Finding what works best may involve some trial and error, but knowing the most effective method for oneself will save them from more frustration.
Game Plan & Grit
After analyzing what might have gone wrong, I believe it is then feasible to make a game plan.
Consider what one might need. Maybe it is practicing anxiety-reducing exercises before the exam or taking frequent breaks to splice up hours of studying.
Consider what could be improved for next time. It might involve incorporating active recall techniques or adjusting test-taking strategies.
Changes are up to each individual person.
Furthermore, I believe developing a growth mindset is vital to maintaining perseverance despite setbacks.
“Growth mindset” is a term that describes how one’s talents can be developed, such as through hard work and feedback, and was coined by American psychologist Carol Dweck.
Essentially, these people tend to achieve more than those who believe their talents are innate gifts, according to Dwek’s article, “What Having a ‘Growth Mindset’ Actually Means.” They worry less about looking smart and spend more time and energy actually learning.
At the end of the day, I believe students will certainly survive and still be successful beyond any disappointing grade.
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Contact Faith Oh via email: faith.oh@pepperdine.edu or by Instagram: @oh_faiffful
