Another Student Question: I Have a High GPA, but I May Fail a Class... What Do I Say So I Don't Sound Desperate?

(Happy start to school! I realize this is the first week back for many of you. Other students have another week. Regardless, I'm excited for you starting off your term! 

This particular student question came in at the tail end of last term. I thought about saving it for later, but then realized that many strong students struggle... and are fearful about offending a professor if they question too much. I'd love to hear what you think. And, it's a new year--let's keep those questions coming!!!)

Dear Ellen,

Your recent blog post on failing was very helpful to read. I don't know if I have failed a class or not but I had failed the midterm. While I feel I did much better on the final exam, I am paranoid about the fact that I might not have enough points to pass (mathematically speaking). I had met with my professor privately after the midterm to say that I was still committed to working really hard to do well on the final.

I emailed my prof both after I finished the final and after the test average was released, since I've been freaking out about whether I had passed or not. For the record, this was an undergraduate math class and my current GPA is a 3.85 in my junior year. Seeing your piece, I think I didn't make any serious mistakes in how I approached it, but maybe you can tell me. 

I tried to stick to the fact that I was most interested in showing that I knew enough of the material to pass the class and that I demonstrated improvement. I did ask if final exam corrections, an oral exam/interview, or something else were still possible in case I had not done enough, so that I could better exhibit my mastery of the concepts [Did I go wrong here? I didn't want to sound whiny in asking for extra credit; I just wanted to let them know that I knew enough of my stuff, and if given even the smallest opportunity to show it, I would make use of it]. 

I tried to avoid discussing how the grade might appear on grad school applications, although I did mention academic probation as one cost. My desperation was probably evident in the two emails but I also wanted to be clear that I wished to earn my passing grade; I never once complained about anything my professor did. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated; I'm a nervous wreck right now. 

Regards,

Student

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And now for my response... and an update!

Dear Student, 

I'm so glad that you wrote to me and I would love to help. First of all, most students, even ones with incredible GPAs like yours, have their challenging classes. I was a superstar in English/Writing, but I struggled terribly in math and biology. And, if you read my previous post on getting a "C" in Environmental Science, I can relate to what you're going through.

Here is my take:

-With a 3.85 GPA, I realize the low grade is going to feel like a huge hit, but it probably isn't. You are in your junior year and you have more classes to go. You can average that grade up, of course, or you could retake the class, but I doubt that would be necessary.

-Did you find out how the rest of your class did on the mid-term? Was the overall class average very low? If it was, this is a difficult, but important question for your professor. It's something he/she would need to look at to determine if there was an issue with the test instrument or the instruction of the material. Bottom line, if an entire class fails, the professor needs to figure out what happened.

-Let's talk about your communication with the professor. It sounds like you were very proactive, so bravo to you! You were well within your rights to ask everything you did. Also, know that it is completely and totally acceptable to say, "I have a 3.85 GPA and I am very worried about how this grade is going to affect my GPA and how it is going to look on my transcript. Based on what I've been able to accomplish until now, my junior year, I'm sure you can understand why this would be very, very concerning to me."

Professors were all students for a long time! We have all been there with our own grades and concern over our own transcripts. I was worried about my "C" on my transcript from my A.A. degree, but ultimately, my overall GPA was fine and I made it into graduate school without a problem. Remember, a high GPA is important, but there are other factors that the school will consider (if it is any consolation to you, I did not do well on my GRE's, but I graduated summa cum laude in my Bachelor's program and also in my Master's program. So, even a major flub on an exam doesn't necessarily mean all is lost for grad school. Of course, this depends on the program).

-You mentioned that you may have sounded desperate in your messaging to the professor. Let me tell you, you have every right to sound desperate/frantic/freaked out/climbing the walls stressed with your high GPA. You have worked hard and you genuinely care about your grade!

Professors become frustrated with students who fail to take their grades seriously, and only do so when it is too late. Most of us are very compassionate with students who are strong achievers, but happened to hit a roadblock.

-You noted that you were concerned about passing based on the failing mid-term grade. Were the percentages of the mid-term and final enough to take your grade down? Were there other ways to measure your learning in this class? If not, this might be something to discuss with your professor and it sounds like you have done that already on some level (i.e., asking for other ways to show what you know).

You sound like an excellent student and you did everything right in this particular situation. Are you able to pinpoint where the problem occurred in this class? Was it the math, itself? Or the nature of the mid-term? If you have more math to take, it would be good to determine where the problem was so you can secure some additional help for future terms. A classmate who is sailing through may be willing to help you, there may be a math tutoring center, or, even hiring a tutor for even just a couple of hours may prove well worth the money.

Thank you, once again, for writing. Let me know how things work out. This topic will help other students tremendously. There are many academically solid students out there who turn upside down when a class doesn't go well. Maybe some answers will help with that stress.

My best to you!
Ellen

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Here's the update, although brief:  The student did pass the class and was continuing dialogue with the professor to determine what could improve for next time. Hopefully, we'll hear a little more as this term progresses. I will update again!

Another after-thought to this post: When I was in my post-secondary ed program, I was taught that high-stakes exams should not be enough to tank a grade--that a student should have more ways to "show what they know." I was thinking that not all subjects lend themselves to this, though--that maybe in some subjects, exams are weighted higher for a reason.

So, I inquired with a few math colleagues and my friend Isa Adney (Community College Success) also wrote about math in one of her previous blog posts. I learned that math class grading is typically cumulative, homework builds to the exam (this is probably true for most classes, but makes a lot of sense for math), and major exams can be upwards of 30% (maybe higher) of the final grade. So, for students who struggle with homework, then are challenged by an exam covering that same material, it makes sense that a low overall grade follows (which, again, would be true for many classes).

What does this mean for you? Get help the second you know you are struggling! You can't wait until the midterm to see where your grade stands. Use your homework as your guide.

Tell your prof, "I'm really struggling with the concepts and I'm concerned about how I'll do on the next test." 

Of course, be very specific about what is confusing you, rather than throwing up your hands and saying, "I just don't get it!"

You'll want to use your prof's office hours, any extra assistance time he/she offers (I know some amazing math profs who offer lots of out-of-class mini-sessions), and, by all means, seek out external tutoring, either on campus or off. If your prof works with you incrementally, or knows what you are doing to help yourself along the way, you can keep an eye on your grade--and progress--together, rather than having a "clean-up on aisle GPA" at the end. The student who wrote in definitely kept tabs with the prof, which was a good thing.

Any classes you're concerned about this term? What conversations should you be having with your profs this week? Colleagues, any other advice for a student struggling this way?

You Failed Your Class... Now What?

Yes, a friend of mine just died.

Yes, the construction next door continues... starting at 7 a.m. this morning, in fact.

So, I'm thinking that you may be thinking, "The Chatty Professor is bringing me down! Just look at the title of this week's post!"

And, indeed, while I've written about some challenges of late, I still have my practicality about me.

During a run a few days ago, I mentally replayed all of the "get ready for finals" tips I'd seen via blogs, articles, etc. over the past week or so.

Let's just say more than I can effectively count.

And many of those tips are very useful.

But what few people talk about is what happens after the grades come in.

That's right:  When students say to profs:

-"Is that really my final grade?"

-"But I can't fail! I really needed a 3.5 in this class to transfer."

-"I can't have a 0.0 and still get financial aid!"

...when finals are already finished, and grades have been calculated.

Then you just might have to pick up the pieces of "I didn't get the grade I wanted/needed. Oh, crap!"

What do you do then?

Let's talk about it...

First thing's first:  You have to meet with your professor, even if your inclination is to take the knife with which you carved your Thanksgiving turkey and scratch it alongside his/her car.

Ideally, your meeting with the prof should take place before official grades are posted. I don't want to give you any false hope that the failing grade will change, but in case your discussion with the prof reveals some new opportunity, it is far easier for the prof to alter the grade before an official grade change form is required.

Where do most students go wrong in this "I failed" meeting? (Aside from the fact that barely any students actually take the time to have this meeting...): 

-They are angry and blame the professor for the failing grade:  "Your class was too hard! I could have done better if there was less work/more time/fewer tests."
-They are frustrated and express disbelief that the failing grade is happening:  "I don't deserve this and I wasn't expecting to fail this class!"
-They suddenly wake up and take notice of their grades after not giving them a second thought all term:  "I thought I was doing better. I only missed a couple of assignments."
-They beg (and possibly bribe) for a last-minute save to avoid the ominous fate of failure: "I have to do something... Extra credit. I'll redo work. I'll wash your car, mow your lawn... anything."

But what should you say?

Before you say anything, calculate your grade yourself and make sure that your totals match the professor's. If your calculations aren't revealing a failing grade, then your first question is, "Can you show me how you arrived at this number of points? I see that I have a D, but you show that I'm failing."

(Hey, a D may bust up your GPA, but you can still usually pull your credit out of the class. And GPA's can be averaged up later, or you can retake the class).

Now let's say you get confirmation that you did fail. You'll want to determine the reason why before you continue the discussion--hopefully before you even walk into your professor's door.

In my experience with hundreds and hundreds of students, failure takes some work, even if the "work" involves wrestling with the decision to do nothing. If you tried your absolute best and just didn't cut the mustard (who cuts mustard, anyway? I actually Googled the origination of this phrase--give it a try. I found that the originator may have meant "mustard seed", which is, indeed, hard to cut. But that just doesn't quite have the right ring, does it? Hmm...), then you did do something.

What you likely didn't do was see your professor enough for help or check your grades earlier to find out how your average was coming along. No judgment in that statement whatsoever, but being honest about the why is the quickest way to figure out how to change things for next time.

In this case, you would say to your prof, "I have failed this class. Based on my grades, it may appear that I didn't even try, but I did. Where I went wrong is not asking for help when I really needed it and checking in with you to see what I could have done differently." 


(If, in reality, you did very little work and the "F" is no surprise, the conversation is still worth having. Definitely own up and say, "My habits were not ideal this term. I made some mistakes and I'm going to pay for them now, but I'd like to do better next time.")


You can add, "I realize there is probably nothing I can do at this point, but I wanted to meet with you anyway just to confirm my grade and ask for your suggestions as to my next steps." 

What are those next steps?

Well, your prof could investigate how close you were to a passing grade and offer you some extra credit. But he/she may not do this, and is certainly not required to. You can ask, but really, it's likely too late for that.

More than likely, your prof will discuss your retaking the class. Then, you'll have to figure out if you can repeat the class (particularly if you used financial aid to pay for it, you will probably have to pay yourself on the second go-around), and if you want to stick with that prof when you do.

I have definitely had students either drop my course or fail it (the latter is a far, far fewer number) and then return a term or two later and they are actually ahead of the game. They know about the assignments, they know my expectations, they know what they have to do. Familiarity with a prof/class is one large benefit to retaking a class. Don't discount it! Even if you switch to another prof in the department, you'll still have a leg up on the subject matter.

Other things you can ask:

-"Would I be eligible for an Incomplete in this class?" At many colleges, an Incomplete is usually not available for an academic reason, but it's worth checking into.
-"Is it too late to drop this class so my transcript shows a 'W', rather than a failing grade?" Again, probably not possible, but can't hurt to ask.
-"Are you teaching this class again next term? What recommendations would you make so I have a better chance of passing?"

I know you will probably want to run off your campus and stay away for a while. But an "F" does not mean that you can't or won't reach your educational goals. Many great students have failed a class (myself, included... remember this post?) and went on to overcome it and excel. With the idea that you will return and thrive, I want to encourage you to have three other campus conversations before your next term starts:

Financial Aid Department: "I failed my class. How will this affect my financial aid?" Of course, you'll need to see what financial ramification the "F" has and how that will affect your future aid. This also applies to any scholarships you've received. 

Counseling Services: (Typically free on campuses and especially important if a life or other crisis situation got in the way of you doing your best) "I failed my class because I was going through X. I would like some support to make sure that I do better next term." Why not get as much help in place as possible? Then follow up with your appointments!  

Your Academic Adviser: "I failed my class. I was on track to graduate in (month/year). How does this affect my plan? Do you recommend changes to my upcoming class schedule?"

And, if you failed every class this term, ask your adviser: "What is the college's policy on academic renewal?"

Academic renewal is a one-shot opportunity that many colleges offer to erase a term from your transcript. Different colleges have different rules about academic renewal:  Some colleges require you to wait for a period of time before making the request. Often, you wipe out the whole term; you can't pick and choose a couple classes that you didn't fail and ask to keep that credit.

Your Parents:  As a parent, myself, not intentionally putting this one last, but you probably will have to come clean to your parents. Will they flip out? Quite possibly, but if you own up to your mistakes quickly and have a ready plan for improvement, the blow might be lessened:  

"I failed my class this term. I want to be honest with you. I know you'll be disappointed and I'm disappointed in myself. The only way I can do better is by changing the way I did things this term. So, here's my plan: I saw my professor and he suggested ___________. I went to see my academic adviser and she suggested _________ (mention any other pre-emptive measures you've taken). I feel more confident about going into next term and am confident that with this support in place, I'll be able to turn this around. 

Of course, don't miss this opportunity to ask for any specific help that your parents could give you!

Wonderful student (and, yes, you're still wonderful, even if failed a class!), I'm going to step out of the practical advice for a moment and get a little psychological/emotional on you:

Your "F" grade does not have to define you.

Failure is part of your journey right now, but you are not a failure.

Yes, it's time to get really honest with yourself about why you failed the class. Too many students blame all sorts of external forces. By owning up to what went wrong and specifically what you did or didn't do that contributed to the outcome, you can take steps to make positive changes for next time. If you truly believe that the failure was something done to you, then one of the conversations above will help you find a remedy.

For now, strategizing your next move and communicating with those on and off campus who have signed up to support you is your absolute best measure.

Be truthful, be humble, be open.

People are more inclined to help you when they see that you genuinely want to create change.

I'd love to say that this is the last time in your life that something won't go the way you hoped. One of my favorite books is When Bad Things Happen to Good People by Harold S. Kushner. Full disclosure: It is somewhat more religious than I am (Kushner is a Rabbi whose own faith was challenged when he lost his son to a rare, terminal illness), but the core message resonates with me:

"Why did this happen to me?" is the wrong question to ask.

The right question is, "What will I do now that this has happened to me?" 

Digging deep to answer that question, dear student, is, in my opinion, the opposite of failure.

Students, have you failed a class? How did you overcome it? Colleagues from all parts of education and business, what is your advice for getting past a failing grade?