And thus, the fall '16 semester has come to an end. The stressful week-long version of hell we've all come to know as Finals Week has ended. Tests have been taken, papers have been written, and projects have been completed. Caffeine pills have become candy, Red Bull is now officially water, and sleep is a figment of torn imaginations. So, what have we accomplished?
For some, finals is a successful time to mark the end of an equally successful semester. A transcript filled with A's and the occasional B either rockets them off to a great start or keeps the ball rolling in the right direction. Scholarships are maintained, new scholarships are able to be obtained, and new part time job opportunities come alive as studies progress and grades stay high. Everything seems so hunky-dory perfect.
For other, though, finals marks the end of a long struggle to survive. If the class has been beyond hard up until the end then chances are strong the final is going to be a reincarnation of hell. What's worse is that one test can make all of the difference in the class. It doesn't matter how hard you've struggled up until that point and how well you've maintained the grade you have in that class. That one final test could wreck your entire semester. Some professors can be forgiving if it happens, but many will not be so eager to adjust your grade and help you pass.
What happens when you fail a final? What happens when a class goes south and you weren't able to recover it before the semester ended? Well, if it was a prerequisite to another class you need down the road and you don't pass it satisfactorily (with a C), then you have to retake it until you get that C to progress. If your scholarship requires a 3.0 cumulative GPA and your term grades cause it to slip under that threshold, your scholarship is at risk. Both of these things could put your future at risk. This is part of the reason people stress so much about finals in the first place. One test could determine anywhere from forty to fifty of your total grade. It's too significant to ignore.
At the end of the day, though, one failed test does not ruin your future. It doesn't matter if you have to retake one class along the way. It doesn't matter if your graduation day gets moved back a semester or two to make sure you actually survive college. It doesn't matter if you get on probation and could potentially lose your extra money. What matters is how you bounce back from the setback. Do you wallow in your self loathing and cry away the days and run from school, or do you stand back up and dust yourself off and get back at it? Failure is an inescapable fact of life. How you handle that failure determines your future success. Never quit. Maximum effort.
