Getting the Test Back

Students react differently when they receive their test grades and papers. Some students dread seeing their test grades, but other students look forward to it. Either way, unless you look at your answers—the correct and incorrect ones—and the instructor’s comments, you will have no way to evaluate your own knowledge and test-taking strengths. While checking over your graded test, you might also find that the instructor made a grading error that might have cost you a point or two. If that happens, you should let the instructor know.

Review your graded tests, because doing so will help you do better next time. You might find that your mistakes were the result of not following directions, being careless with words or numbers, or even thinking too hard about a multiple-choice question. Mistakes can help you learn, so refer to your textbook and notes to better understand the source and reason for each mistake. If you are a member of a study group, plan a test review with other group members; this allows you to learn from your mistakes and those of the others in the group.

If you have any questions about your grade, that is an excellent reason to visit your instructor during his or her office hours or before or after class; your concern will show the instructor that you want to succeed. When discussing the exam with your instructor, you might be able to negotiate a few points in your favor. Avoid making demands, though, and always be respectful.

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Write and Reflect

What Advice Would You Give?

What do you do when an instructor returns an exam to you? Do you just look at the grade, or do you review the items you answered correctly and incorrectly? Write a one- or two-page paper in which you describe to new first-year students what steps they should take after receiving an exam back from an instructor—an exam on which they earned either a very good or very poor grade. Write persuasively, and then share your position verbally with a few other students in your class.

Bouncing Back from a Bad Grade

You bombed a test, and now you are feeling hopeless and unsure about how to do better. First, know that a bad grade is not the end of the world. Almost every student performs poorly at some point in college. Don’t let one D or F get you down. Use the opportunity to build your resilience—to become stronger and show your tough spirit. One way to bounce back from disappointment is to take control of the situation. Talk to the course instructor, work to understand what went wrong, and develop a strategy for improvement. That strategy might be finding a tutor, meeting on a regular basis with your instructor, or working with a learning center professional who can help you improve your skills in reading, studying, remembering, and preparing for tests. Your college success instructor can help you decide what first steps you need to take to improve your academic performance.

Above all, don’t let a bad test grade get you down. One characteristic that differentiates successful students from unsuccessful ones is resilience—that is, whether they can bounce back from a disappointing grade or performance. Almost every college student has experienced disappointment—perhaps on a test or paper, the athletic field, or in music or dance. Don’t run from a bad grade; learn from it. Review the mistakes you made, and talk with your instructor about what you misunderstood and how you can improve your performance on the next graded activity.