FAILED my midterm! need advice please!

[amandakelly]

I failed my university midterm with 45 percent.. It is a large class of 500 students and most did excellent so I am completely crushed! I need this class, and so I NEED to pass it! The midterm was worth 30% ..and there is one more worth 30% and a final worth 40%. I need a 60% grade to PASS this class! Is it possible for me to pass? What grades would I need to get? I feel like I did not study properly, and that I am capable of getting a great grade! (80's maybe). Please help!!

[CoolBee]

Do you know what you did wrong? Or were you expecting a much better mark?

Make an appointment with the appropriate person (subject teachers, personal supervisor, whatever works in your educational system) to go through the paper if possible.

Talk to 2 or 3 other students in the class who did well about how they approached it - were there big hints dropped by the teacher which you somehow missed? (It's easily done if you are quite logically/literal minded). Did it rely on 'rote-learning'? Practising exercises?

What sort of subject is it? Technical, mathematical, wordy?

[Clint Cora]

If you have not seen my video on college study strategy, do it now as it has helped many others.

Good luck.

[Andrew Wilcox]

I recommend How to Become a Straight-A Student by Cal Newport.

[180]

I'm a tutor and I've helped a lot of failing students.

First thing is visit your professor. Believe it or not pity points are worth a lot. Talk to him/her and have them help identify your problem. Make sure to appear very willing to do anything for the grade and listen to everything they tell you without ever arguing. When you reach a common point with your professor they will most likely side with you and help you as much as you can.

I have several personal experiences but primarily I've skipped final tests, midterms, and papers because the professor always see me as a very strong student. By showing enthusiasm and care for the professor there is an indebtedness that shows itself and they will aid you. I remember specifically my abnormal psych professor say "How would you like to skip the final? You've been such a great student, my treat".

Such is the type of relationship you want with your professor. It confers MANY benefits. I'm a teacher now and I have had students who come to me after class everyday. I do NOT fail them and I make sure at all costs they do not fail. Because I feel it's my responsibility they pass. The same goes for your professor.

Build a relationship this is important on so many facets but most of all because you will need a letter of recommendation and one from a teacher who says you did badly and then did well is extremely invaulbable. I could say a lot more about this topic, but be nice, be modest, visit your professor, ask questions, and be eager.

Believe me, it will help you immensely. Sometimes professors will even hint to you what is on the final test.

[irfan]

Originally Posted by 180

Believe it or not pity points are worth a lot.

Maybe not so much pity, but showing that the student cares? If you get a bad mark and you don't even take the trouble to discuss it with the teacher, then he or she can reasonably presume that it doesn't matter much to you. A lot of people will respond positively to a sincere request for help, and teachers, on the whole, like to see their students do well, so they are particularly predisposed to it!

[Acting Like Godot]

Folks, you are not understanding her question.

Originally Posted by amandakelly

I failed my university midterm with 45 percent.. It is a large class of 500 students and most did excellent so I am completely crushed! I need this class, and so I NEED to pass it! The midterm was worth 30% ..and there is one more worth 30% and a final worth 40%. I need a 60% grade to PASS this class! Is it possible for me to pass? What grades would I need to get?

She scored 45% for her 1st paper, which carries 30% weightage. That means she has got 13.5 marks so far, out of a final maximum score of 100 marks.

If 60% is the overall pass mark, she needs 60 - 13.5 = 46.5 marks, from her last two papers, which have a combined weightage of 70%.

46.5/70 = 66.4%

So on average, and in percentage terms, she needs to score around 66.4%, for the next two papers, in order to pass.

(Let us pray that her paper is not math-related. Because if she couldn't work out the above for herself, she's not going to pass the paper).

[Ceoarob]

^^^^ lollll

to OP:

Drop out. It'll solve all your exam problems. Ever.

[Sandstone]

You have received good advice thusfar. I definitely agree that it is best to talk to your Professor. Identify the problem then you can fix it.

Best of luck to you.

[williamkwan]

Since I don't know the context of what happened, I can't give you specific advice. However, I do think you're overreacting. You've still got 70% of the marks left. Plenty of time to get yourself together.

[Clint Cora]

Originally Posted by williamkwan

Since I don't know the context of what happened, I can't give you specific advice. However, I do think you're overreacting. You've still got 70% of the marks left. Plenty of time to get yourself together.

I most certainly agree with this - that's why it's important to utilized the study strategy I outlined in the video (or a similar one) as soon as possible as you can still salvage your year.