The semester is about half over and you may have received midterm grades. At my institution professors only have to submit D or F midterm grades. Some professors submitted all grades but I do not – I assume my students are monitoring their own grades.
At this point in the semester you want to evaluate your progress and the grades you are earning in each class.
If you are failing a class, talk to the professor and see if there is a chance you can pass the course.
- If yes, find out what you need to do to pass the course with a ‘C’ or better. Tell him or her how you have been preparing, share you notes and ask for suggestions, ask for any strategies that work for other students. Find out if there is tutoring for the subject and become a regular!
- If there is no chance, talk to your advisor about your options. To protect your grade point average, it is better to withdraw rather than fail. However, you need to be sure you are still considered a full-time student. Also, if the course is required or a prerequisite for another course, you will have to take it next semester or over the summer.
Even if you are passing a course, you want to know exactly where you stand. Are you close to the next higher grade or solidly in the middle? Is there a chance to improve your grade by the end of the semester? If so, follow the suggestions in the first bullet point above.
Again – I return all graded work and my grading system is clearly explained in the syllabus. I expect my students to be keeping their own records and to know exactly where they stand in my course and in their other courses. If a professor is not organized and specific, it is up to the student to talk to the professor and find out exactly where they stand.
The next blog is about one of my favorite strategies – setting false deadlines.
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First Semester Success: 2nd Edition, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available as an eBook and hard copy from amazon.om and a hard copy from wordassociation.com. Click on the upper right link.
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