The 7 Stages Of Failed Exam Grief | The Odyssey Online
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The 7 Stages Of Failed Exam Grief

With each "F", a small piece of me dies inside.

Samantha Lederman
Feb 27, 2017
Case Western Reserve University
540
The 7 Stages Of Failed Exam Grief
Pixabay

Most of us have failed at least one test in our lifetime. School can be pretty hard, and sometimes we just don't have the time or motivation to study as much as we need to in order to ace those exams. Every time I perform poorly, I feel like a little piece of me has died. So, in honor of me completely bombing my physics test today, I present to you the seven stages of grief as they pertain to failing an exam.

1. Shock/Disbelief

I knew I did bad, but I didn't think I did THAT bad. How is it even possible to get a 30%?

2. Denial

There has to be some sort of mistake. They must have graded it wrong. There's no way that I failed this hard. I totally deserve at least a B.

3. Bargaining

Maybe I can get the professor to give me back a few extra points. Extra credit is a valuable tool for education. Ooo, or they should curve it. Curves are godsends. Pretty please?

4. Guilt

This is all my fault. I knew I should have studied harder instead of watching Netflix last night. I'm ruining my future. I hate myself.

5. Anger

THAT TEST WAS COMPLETE B.S.! I'M GOING TO GIVE THAT PROFESSOR A PIECE OF MY MIND.

6. Depression

Now I'm going to fail this class, ruin my GPA, flunk out of college, and live alone on the streets. Life is a dark pit full of despair and misery.

7. Acceptance/Hope

You know what? Everything is going to be fine. I'll study harder next time. Maybe I'll even get a tutor and start going to SI sessions. All is not lost. We all make mistakes. No one is perfect.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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