What do you do? (bad tests)

[cozycleo]

---

Members don't see this ad.

I had a lousy chem test last week. I thought I was prepped, but I pretty much bombed it. Fortunately, if I do well on the final in a few weeks my lowest test score gets dropped. So I just need to focus on the final now.

What do you do to perk yourself back up?

 

[tnig469]

Try to forget about your last test because everyone can't do good on every test now. Sometimes you just have bad days. Study for the next test but try your best not to overthink and put too much pressure on yourself. Always think positive!

 

[Groominator]

I usually try to put academics on hold and give my mind a break and a chance to forget about the awfulness.

I recently bombed a physics exam. I did awful on the first one too. Now I need to beg the professor to give me some other chance to bring my grade up a bit. And study my arse off for the final. *deep breath* This isn't even anything advanced, its classical physics and Newton's laws. meh.

 

[Kylana]

After doing poorly on many tests this term, I have worked out a (somewhat bizarre) strategy plan to overcome being upset with tests:

Come home, rant to my roommate about the test for 5 minutes. Draw a picture of a horse cantering/galloping while listening to the radio (very relaxing! And the faster the horse is going, the better...not sure why). Go grocery shopping even if I don't have anything in particular to buy (it is so nice to complete such a brainless task, where you can make all sorts of executive decisions, and feel like you are doing something productive). Come home and write down a list of all my best friends (thinking of how awesome they all are always makes me feel better). Then start studying something again (related or unrelated to the class with the test in question)!

Yup, slightly odd, but it works for me. And yes, I actually do this. Now you probably all think I am slightly crazy...

 

[wildvet]

I wouldn't fret about it, I mean if your lowest score is dropped, you should be fine if you do well on the final! Everyone has a bad day once in a while!

And remember, depending on the professor, the final probably will probably not be in as much detail as the midterms so you might have an advantage there if you still remember and review the concepts that your professor stresses the most.

Just don't get yourself all worked up about it. If you have confidence and don't get stressed out, you will have the strength to move forward and solve a lot of the difficult problems! Chem is a difficult subject in itself, especially organic (if that's the class that you're in), and usually the grades are curved anyway because pretty much everyone does bad lol.

 

[littlecaitling]

Yeah I'm essentially in the same position as you. I recently got back a chem exam that I thought I did fairly well on....well lets just say that the class average was a 53, and while I did better than class average, it wasnt by all that much... What's worse is that while normally each student has the opportunity to drop their lowest exam score, I don't get that luxury because I was switched into the class 2 weeks after it started (which is another long, very infuriating story....). So by the time that I switched into the class the teacher already gave the first (take home, review from orgo I) exam, and a quiz. And she wouldn't let me do anything to make it up; she just told me when I came in "well I guess that's the exam you're dropping this semester!" She also doesn't curve, so we're all pretty screwed.

So I was pretty bummed that morning. What cheered me up though is that later that afternoon I was working in this same professor's research lab (many chem classes at our school are research integrated, so instead of "cookbook labs" we do actual research in our professor's lab), and that day I made a pretty big breakthrough in the research! That got me so excited, and even my hardass professor couldnt help but be a little happy about it .

So I guess what I'm trying to say (besides venting that long story to people who can relate, which also helps a lot) is that when you screw up, don't beat yourself up over it, remember that you're only human, and try to focus on the positives. You say you bombed this exam, but from the way you're so upset about it I'm going to assume that youve done fairly well on other exams, and you'll get the opportunity to drop this score anyway. So forget about this exam, consider it dropped already if that helps you. Just do everything you can to rock the final.

I go to a small school where you tend to establish pretty close relationships with professors, so I would personally go to the teacher, explain that you thought you were well prepared for the exam, but you clearly weren't, and ask what can be done to improve your performance for the final. Generaly only the teacher knows what is going to be on the exam and how s/he will grade it, so his/her personal input will be invaluable. Also I find intensive review sessions with the professor tends to influence the final if it isnt completely finished yet; there have been times ive been reviewing with a professor and after I struggle through a problem with him/her or ask a question s/he will say "oh that's a GREAT idea for an exam problem!" and then something remarkably familiar will be on the final .

Also, this is a pretty weird habit of mine, but when I get back a particularly depressing exam score I whip out my syllabus and all my past graded exams/quizzes/assignments/etc, and try to figure out my average in the class so far. Then I try to figure out the minimum score I need to get on the final to get a certain grade in the course. I usually find out that I'm doing much better in a class than I think I am, and it helps to take a lot of the pressure off.

 

[rachroo]

Also, this is a pretty weird habit of mine, but when I get back a particularly depressing exam score I whip out my syllabus and all my past graded exams/quizzes/assignments/etc, and try to figure out my average in the class so far. Then I try to figure out the minimum score I need to get on the final to get a certain grade in the course. I usually find out that I'm doing much better in a class than I think I am, and it helps to take a lot of the pressure off.

Haha, you're not alone in that habit, my friend.

Although I do it for alomst all grades (exams, projects, papers, etc), regardless of the numerical score (be it high or lower than I would have liked).

 

[CatTech]

Quote:
Also, this is a pretty weird habit of mine, but when I get back a particularly depressing exam score I whip out my syllabus and all my past graded exams/quizzes/assignments/etc, and try to figure out my average in the class so far. Then I try to figure out the minimum score I need to get on the final to get a certain grade in the course. I usually find out that I'm doing much better in a class than I think I am, and it helps to take a lot of the pressure off.
Haha, you're not alone in that habit, my friend.

Although I do it for alomst all grades (exams, projects, papers, etc), regardless of the numerical score (be it high or lower than I would have liked).

Oh goodness... add me to that list...

I especially tend to do this when I have tests/assignments coming up that I dread doing... It makes me feel better if I see that "I only have to get a ___% on this to keep my grade above a ___"

And I do it before finals week of course.

 

[pupsforseeing]

oh my gosh, that is so me! all through undergrad, i was constantly made fun of because i always know exactly what i needed to get on each assignment to keep a __% and by how much a score on any assignment/lab/exam would change my grade

i am out of school now and didn't think it still haunted me. but last night i had this crazy real dream (woke up frantically in a cold sweat) that i had all these papers due that day that i hadn't started and tests the next day that i hadn't studied for (which is soooo not me, i'm the kid that writes her papers 2 months before the due date and is stressed if they're not printed out 2 weeks before they're due)...but was freaking out looking for my professor's missing foster child (no, said professor does not have foster children...she doesn't like children), haha. oh, what our minds will do to us.

 

[cozycleo]

Thanks everyone. We just met again last night and the prof made it clear that everyone did pretty mediocre last week on that test. We were all more or less in the same boat. Makes me feel a little better. So now I have 2 weeks until the final and I'll work toward that. I think I can manage a much better grade in 2 weeks.

I'm probably not cutting myself enough slack. This is the first chem class I've had in nearly 10 years after all.

 

[sumstorm]

If the final is comprehensive, be sure to review the exam that you didn't do so great on. A lot of students have a tendency to shove the 'bad' exam in the binder and move on, but if you don't figure out what you missed and why, you won't be able to cover the material in the final, or, in some classes, may do poorly on future exams that build on the material.