7. Don't dwell on the past | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Student Life

How To Make A Comeback From A 'Bad' College Semester And Or Year

College isn’t easy and everyone makes mistakes. If you are entering your freshman year or graduating soon here are tips to bounce back in a big way.

68509
How To Make A Comeback From A 'Bad' College Semester And Or Year

In This Article:

Life happens.

You get your grades back and watch your GPA plummet. Maybe you weren't prepared for what freshman year would bring, overloaded your schedule, or had a personal tragedy.

College can be hard, it is the time we learn about ourselves, and how to exist in the real world where things can and will go wrong. Making these mistakes is important in the process of learning, but can be overwhelming and confusing. It may seem like you have ruined your chances of getting into grad school or getting that dream job because of ONE mistake. You're not alone, and you defiantly CAN make a comeback. You may even be able to bounce back stronger than before.

Here are some of the ways you can bounce back from a bad semester or keep up a healthy college lifestyle.

1. Practice self-care

Check in with yourself at all times. College is about finding yourself and setting up your future. This can involve clubs, sports, classes, research, internships, volunteering, working…with all of this self-discovering you can lose sight of your own wellbeing.

Stress can seem like a common factor in college, but being sure to check on your mental health is a major factor determining your grades. Be sure to schedule "me" time when you can.

Take advantage of college campus counseling services, they are usually free to students and should be taken advantage of whenever you feel you need them! Be sure to take a break from study mode to make sure you are healthy and don't be afraid to "treat yo self!"

2. Get organized & don't procrastinate

A key to college success is organization and time management. This is a huge struggle, particularly for an incoming freshman.

There is no one to tell you deadlines, little if any extra credit and no second chances. Be sure before the school year starts to get a planner or organization app, get all your school materials and class lists down ahead of time, and stay ahead of deadlines.

3. Get involved, but don't overload

Make sure you find a community and get involved. Even if that group is a study group, a yoga club, or sports team, find people with similar interests that will MOTIVATE YOU TO BE BETTER!

You can keep your party friends, but be sure you have people in your life who push you to achieve your goals. Employers and grad schools will also look at what you did during college.

While yoga club won't make up for failing grades, if you get involved and get leadership positions on campus it shows that you weren't just drinking or sleeping through college. Being an involved member of your community can help improve your mental state too.

That being said don't overwhelm yourself with twelve clubs, be sure to make time for class, study, and self-care.

4. If you're offered “EC" take it

It's not often you get extra credit opportunities in college.

Even if you are sitting at an A, there is never "bad" extra credit. The extra assignment may come back to help you for a bad test score or a missed assignment down the road. That extra assignment may make the difference between an A and a B, or a B and a C, and that can change everything.

5. Be the “teacher's pet"

Never be afraid to talk to your professor.

Even if you're in a class of 300 people and think you have nothing to say, going into office hours shows that you CARE about your grades and that could help your grade and get a great recommendation letter.

When your letter grade is on the edge, that personal relationship with your professor may lead them to boost it up that last percent!

6. Show up and study SMART

Half the battle is going to class.

While you may feel you can study better on your own, going to class will never hurt your chances at a better grade. Studying is a huge determining factor of how you will perform on tests. This can often be difficult, the methods learned in HS for studying often don't work in college and leave many freshmen feeling helpless.

There is an art to college studying, and it differs for each person.

Personally, it helps me to listen to lectures without note-taking. I take a video of the lecture and go back and take notes at home and making outlines every week of the most important material. Often the outlines I have made are practically the tests I take and takes far less time to go over test day than skimming five chapters in one day.

7. Don't dwell on the past

Many students get a "bad" grade in college.

Straight-A students in HS find they receive their first B's and C's in college. This is not because you are unworthy, not smart enough, or not capable of attending college. The saying is "C's get degrees." The motto should not be a mindset to slack off and pass college with C's.

I take it simply as a sign college is hard, and you should be realistic when it comes to grades. It's normal to get a C and is not the end of the world. Aim to get the best possible grades, whether for you that is A's, B's, or passing but don't dwell on one bad grade.

Take responsibility for your mistakes, learn from them, and become a better student.

8. Finish strong

Maybe you had that bad year or semester, but one thing colleges and employers look at is what happened after that mistake.

Having a strong academic record after that bad semester shows that you are hardworking and learn from your mistakes. Improvement in a transcript is much better than grades that decline as graduation comes around.

Get involved, apply to internships, take care, and finish strong. Your grades do not solely determine your self-worth. Aspire to be the best you can be, not perfect. Use your downs to inspire your ups because college, like all of life, is a learning experience.


Keep calm, study on, and most importantly have faith in yourself!

Report this Content
Gilmore Girls
Hypable

In honor of Mother’s Day, I have been thinking of all the things my mom does for my family and me. Although I couldn’t write nearly all of them, here are a few things that moms do for us.

They find that shirt that’s right in front of you, but just you can’t seem to find.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

10 Reasons To Thank Your Best Friend

Take the time to thank that one friend in your life you will never let go of.

3023
Thank You on wooden blocks

1. Thank you for being the one I can always count on to be honest.

A true friend will tell you if the shirt is ugly, or at least ask to borrow it and "accidentally" burn it.

2. Thank you for accepting me for who I am.

A best friend will love you regardless of the stale french fries you left on the floor of your car, or when you had lice in 8th grade and no one wanted to talk to you.

Keep Reading...Show less
sick student
StableDiffusion

Everybody gets sick once in a while, but getting sick while in college is the absolute worst. You're away from home and your mom who can take care of you and all you really want to do is just be in your own bed. You feel like you will have never-ending classwork to catch up on if you miss class, so you end up going sick and then it just takes longer to get better. Being sick in college is really tough and definitely not a fun experience. Here are the 15 stages that everyone ends up going through when they are sick at college.

Keep Reading...Show less
kid
Janko Ferlic
Do as I say, not as I do.

Your eyes widen in horror as you stare at your phone. Beads of sweat begin to saturate your palm as your fingers tremble in fear. The illuminated screen reads, "Missed Call: Mom."

Growing up with strict parents, you learn that a few things go unsaid. Manners are everything. Never talk back. Do as you're told without question. Most importantly, you develop a system and catch on to these quirks that strict parents have so that you can play their game and do what you want.

Keep Reading...Show less
friends
tv.com

"Friends" maybe didn’t have everything right or realistic all the time, but they did have enough episodes to create countless reaction GIFs and enough awesomeness to create, well, the legacy they did. Something else that is timeless, a little rough, but memorable? Living away from the comforts of home. Whether you have an apartment, a dorm, your first house, or some sort of residence that is not the house you grew up in, I’m sure you can relate to most of these!

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments