Syllabus week is over, and some of us are having our first quizzes. Some of us have already had exams. Regardless of what assessment you have coming up, you may have failed something already.

I see you, and I'm there with you! I'd be lying to you if I said I didn't fail a test in college. In fact, I've gotten a 40 on a test. Don't be like me and panic. Ask for help! It'll get better if you reach out for help now.

Chances are you're really stressed and worried that you'll have to drop the class and push your graduation back.

Hold on a second.

It's only one quiz, one exam, one assignment. Why does this dictate your performance in the whole class? Take a step back, talk to your professor, and make changes to how you study.

Today I had my first chemistry quiz. I know I didn't do as well as I hoped, and at first I wanted to criticize myself for making "dumb mistakes." My professor brought up how the whole point of these quizzes is to make sure we know what our strengths and weaknesses are. I know what they are now, and now I know what to focus on so I can CRUSH the exam next week.

It's so easy to beat yourself up over one quiz. It's so easy to ask everyone how they did. That'll just make you feel worse. The first few weeks are an adjustment period, and it's okay to mess up at first. You're not going to fail out of school because of this. Don't let your mind jump to conclusions. It's not going to make you succeed.

Prove them wrong and get an A next time.