How to face failure in college

Many students come see me after they  have bombed their first semester or first year in college.  Together we work on action steps to get their GPA back on track and take the steps each semester towards graduation. It’s not easy. It takes a courage to examine what went wrong and strength to make changes.

Here are 6 easy steps to make your come-back after failing a course in college:

First, talk to your dean or academic advisor immediately. Ask what options are available. Write these options down. There will be a lot to remember so take notes. Find out what you need to do to remove a failing grade from your transcript. Each college will have their own rules. You probably will have to re-take the course you failed.  Find out if you can re-take the course at your local community college. Or if you have to re-take it at your college.

2. Take time to be honest with yourself. Write a list of all the things that contributed to failing the course. Was it your social life? Your love life? Your work life? Your family life? Fraternity/sorority demands?  Mismanaged time and priorities? Were you under-prepared for the material in this course? Did you visit the professor in his or her office before and after each major exam?

3. Now decide what you will change in order to not repeat the same mistake.

4. Decide when to retake the course you failed. Many colleges will offer intense short semesters in May or June or July. During these short 3 or 4 week semesters you might go to class 4-5 days a week for 2-3 hours per day. This type of semester would be ideal to retake a course you failed during a long semester. You can concentrate on just one course. Go to class in the morning. Work on homework in the afternoon and be ready for a quiz the next day. Exams will be almost every week. And it will all be over by the end of the month!

5. Recruit some help. Hire an academic coach. Get an ADHD coach. Organize a study group. Visit your professor once a week in his or her office. Get a tutor.

6. Don’t feel sorry for yourself. This isn’t high school any more.

A short semester will be intense but you’ll be glad you did it.