Midterms are over, and now it's that time of year when the grades are posted. If you're anything like me, some exams went better than others. Here are some steps for making it past the sad situation that is failing (or just doing less than satisfactory) on a test. While these are probably not the most healthy steps, they work very well for me and I 10/10 would recommend them for any other underachievers.

1. Cry when you think of the test

^^You when you saw the first question

So maybe you were a little bit under prepared, or studied the wrong material, woke up too late, showed up to the wrong place to take the test, etc. It's time to acknowledge that what happened really really sucked. I would strongly recommend a good cry for this. Just wallow for a bit.

2. Hide it from your family

Yeah, school is going really well, Mom! All of my grades are great. I am making good use of all of my time, thank you very much. If you have a great relationship with your family and do wish to share your failure for emotional support and/or guidance, that is also okay. And probably a better idea than mine.

3. Find a friend who also did less than well on the test

The most comforting thing to hear at this point is that someone else has been beaten up by a test. Preferably the same test you took. You are not alone in your failure! I find it very therapeutic to commiserate with a friend.

4. Regret your life choices

This probably could have been avoided. Take a moment to feel bad about yourself, then move on. It's not that bad.

5. Eat something

At this point it's important to remember not to eat all of your feelings. Just the worst ones.

6. Talk to your teacher

Depending on the severity of your failure, you might want to talk to your teacher, professor, or at least arrange some tutoring to try and salvage your grade.

8. Don't get offended if your professor won't help you

If your professor seems less than helpful, don't dwell on it too much. You're basically an adult now, and if your professor won't help you out, you have a lot of other options to fix your grade or to just find peace with the grade you have.

7. Move on.

Grades are a social construct, if you really think about it. They don't define who you are or what awesome things you're going to do with your life. And this test is just a minor bump on the road to greatness. Hang in there!