The College Lighthouse is supported by readers, like you! If you buy through our links, we get an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you.
That was me. First-quarter at UCSB and I was already failing classes in college. I literally FAILED every chem quiz and midterm leaving me at 45%, or an F, going into the final.
The average on the final was 65%. Yet somehow, I got an 83.5% on the final and a B in the class. For those who don’t believe me, here’s the actual proof:
As I said, I failed LITERALLY every midterm and quiz. I even did WORSE! So what made the difference?
Don’t worry, no Adderall or photographic memory is required to save your grades. In fact, you don’t need to do anything crazy. If you’re failing your classes in college, all you really need is a plan.
This step-by-step guide shows how I saved my grades and how you can save your grades too.
This guide is insanely detailed but I understand college students are running on 3 shots of espresso and whatever’s leftover in your Hydroflasks. So I made a summary.
BUT I highly recommend you read the entire guide. If not, that’s cool too but do me a favor and share this article with one of your friends who need it. It’ll help them out and help me out too.
Okay, there were 8 steps instead of 5 but HEY, I summarized this whole guide for you!
Step 1: Find Out WHY You’re Failing Classes in College
Do you have anxiety or feel overwhelming disappointment when looking at a bad grade? It’s okay. You’re not alone. I actually felt incredibly discouraged looking at the 2 D’s and F’s on my exams and quizzes. One for each test and quiz. But you need to know where you’re messing up if you hope to save your grades.
“You can’t fix your mistake if you don’t know what they are!” – Princess Mononoke probably.
For instance, my biggest issue was having poor study habits to begin with. So I outlined all the mistakes and strategies I needed to change. I made a list of all of them below.
Things I Noticed I Needed to Change:
- Studying either a few days or the night before
- Looking only at lecture notes and practice tests
- Not doing ANY of the recommended book problems
- Not going to office hours
- Zoning out during tutorial classes
- Not having a study game plan
So with 6 different habits that needed to change, which ones was I going to prioritize?
What Should I Change If I’m Failing my College Classes? ALL OF THE ABOVE
When you’re failing your classes in college, you need to make big changes in order to save your grade. The next step is crucial so stay with me here!
Get a Free Academic Planner When You Sign Up For My Newsletter!
I'll send you an academic planner and more of these awesome articles!
By signing up, you agree to get emails from me, Chris Landeros and The College Lighthouse. I'll respect your privacy and you can unsubscribe any time.
Step 2: Making the adjustments
Saving your grades is all about the changes you make to your study habits. Now that you found the reason why you’re failing your classes in college, it’s time to find out how to make the necessary adjustments. Even simple changes like using a research assistant tool to help write your next paper or organizing your calendar can go a long way.
Read Your Syllabus!
Make sure you have a game plan using your syllabus as a guide. This is a GAME CHANGER.
In my experience, many students do not read over the syllabus properly. A decent amount of professors will outline EXPLICITLY how to study for their class and most importantly, which practice materials to go through.
Students who follow these instructions usually end up doing well in the class. An easy way to set yourself up for success is to simply just do everything outlined.
That being said, even going through every single practice problem isn’t usually enough. It’s important to make a conscientious effort to actually understand the material. It’s okay to go through the material slowly and ask for plenty of help.
Setup Your Calendar and Time Manage!
All you need to do is put everything on that syllabus onto your Google Calendar, iCal, or whatever app or calendar system you use.
I prefer an online calendar because I can set out reminders and color code them any way I like.
Save your grades with a google calendar schedule that keeps you on track. Especially when you’re failing your college classes.
We actually finished step by step video on how to do this in under 5 minutes! The video is like two minutes and outlines literally all you need to time-manage like a college pro.
In case you don’t have time to 2x speed this 1-minute video, I also wrote a step-by-step guide on how to organize your calendar.
A lot of syllabi’ will have recommended book problems too. A lot of students might either do some of them or skip them entirely, which is EXACTLY what I did.
I thought I could get away with just showing up to lectures, doing the practice tests, and grading homework.
But that’s exactly why I took a FAT L on my first midterm and quiz. Lack of preparation and lack of a solid study plan led me to fail my classes in college.
So I joined UCSB’s free study classes (or CLAS) that they offered on campus. If you’re planning on applying to UCSB, check out this article on all the other free stuff they offer to students.
Check this article out for more resources UCSB offers their students for FREE
Solving my Zoning Out Problem: Switching to active learning
Those tutoring sessions helped me understand the general concepts but I kept zoning out! So I decided to enroll in their smaller group sessions that they were trying out for the first time.
They only offered it to students struggling and I was STRUGGLING.
There I met my mentor Ryan Soe, who actually challenged me to explain how to solve a problem. This really helped me figure out what I was getting stuck on.
I go more in-depth with how to actively study in this article written by homie Byron Rosenthal.
He’s literally attending medical school RIGHT NOW at Georgetown University. He’s also really nice, so reach out to him for medical school questions!
Find a Mentor to Answer Your Questions
By having a mentor, I was able to directly ask them for help. This saved precious time by answering my questions quickly and step-by-step. So be sure to find a mentor if you can!
In case you need help, I made a video featuring my friend at UCLA who literally has CEOs and Ph.D. professors mentor her for her business and grad school.
Nothing helps you understand concepts faster than going through a problem, with other students judging watching, and a tutor helping you along the way.
“But what if my school doesn’t have the funding to offer those smaller personal tutoring programs?”
Trust me, my school didn’t either until the LAST FEW WEEKS of the quarter. So what did I do before that?
Here’s My Pro Tip: Go to Drop-in Tutoring or my Professor’s Office Hours immediately after my quiz or exam was done.
“What?!? Why?!??” – Anybody
In my science classes, we could take the exams home because we only needed to submit the scantron. So I would take my test to my Professor’s office hours or to my school’s tutoring drop-in services.
This is because nobody, and I mean NOBODY, will be spending their day going over the tests or assignments the day after taking a stress-inducing test.
This is also the PRIME TIME to get to know your professor or other resources on campus. The tutors would send me extra problems or study guides, and the professors would start to build friendships with me. My chem professor even knows my name, to this day!
And EVEN IF you wanted to relax after your midterm, you could still go to office hours the week following the midterm.
Trust me, you’ll thank yourself when you don’t have to squeeze yourself with 15 other students in a tiny office, waiting to ask the professor a question the day before your exam.
Where Trying To Save Your Grades Can Lead To (Side Story)
Literally, I went to my professor’s office hours so frequently, that he memorized my name. To this day!
In fact, when I saw him three years later, he actually asked me what my plans were and if I had time to hang out. Really reminds you that they’re people too. Cool people at that.
Changing Your Study Plan: You can’t memorize everything
I also realized that the reason I was okay with doing that lame study plan in the first place was because it was EASY. I tried to memorize the answers to the problems in order to take the exams.
In high school, you might get away with it but in college, you just can’t. Why?
Because as soon as the professor changes one SMALL detail in the problem, you’re SCREWED.
I’ve seen this in both my chem classes and in my English class. They either want you to write about Daoism instead of Taoism (HINT: they’re the same thing) or solve for enthalpy instead of entropy.
The university’s mission is to make you THINK CRITICALLY and not regurgitate information. It might always be that way but ultimately that’s their goal. So get ready to think!
So get organized! Buy a notebook organizer and color-code your notes with multicolor pens if you have to. Students get 6 months of Amazon Prime shipping for FREE so you can have your study tools ready by tomorrow!
Practice Problems Will Save Your Grades!
I go more in-depth as to why you should be doing every single practice problem and practice test you can get your hands on. When you’re failing your classes, you need practice. This can be writing out the answers to your old test prompts, redoing your last midterm, and working through the practice problems in your textbook.
If you don’t have access to any old exams, you can access cheatsheets and resources for your class with CourseHero. You can actually get 1 month of CourseHero completely free with your Amazon Prime Student account. You can sign up for 6 free months of Amazon Prime just for being a student.
How To Ask for Help When You’re Struggling
I already talked about how your professor and campus tutors can help you. However, I forgot to mention that your TAs, friends, online resources, or whoever is relevant to your class can help you out too!
Have trouble figuring out what to talk about? Here I got you! Click the article below if you want to learn how to be homies with your professors:
Article on How to Talk to Your Professors in Office Hours
My big tip when asking for help was to go to my professor. Why?
Because oftentimes, they’ll get to know you and offer you tips or even “ideas” of what to expect on the next exam or test. In fact, this was a key instrument in how I killed the final that SAVED my grade.
After failing and doing worse on my second midterm, I went to my professor and told him:
“I don’t know what I’m doing wrong”
I get this a lot from students I mentor. Hell, I WAS that student! I went to the school’s tutorial services, did the book problems, and practice tests, and spent hours every day studying. I was failing my classes and I didn’t know what to do.
But that’s where asking for help comes in handy!
I went to office hours asking for advice and my professor gave me the simplest but probably the most critical advice I received for the final.
“Up to this point in the lecture, I taught you everything you need to know for the final. For the next two weeks, we’re simply explaining the same concepts but in different scenarios. Except for a few minor details, it’s almost completely the same.”
Take Advantage of Breaks and Holidays to Play Catch Up
Please enjoy your time with your family. But afterward, take some of your mama’s cooking to the library with you because it’s time to grind!
My professor handed me super insightful info RIGHT BEFORE Thanksgiving Break. The perfect time to catch up!
Instead of worrying about the minor details, he told me that the larger overarching concepts were going to be the focus of the final. So I knew to spend a majority of time developing a deep understanding of the concepts before I started getting hung up on details.
Essentially I reviewed everything, but this time knew exactly what required my attention and focus, prioritizing high yield info!
So go talk to your professor! And if you have anxiety talking to professors like me, remember here’s an article that can help. If you still can’t muster up the courage to talk to a professor, any mentor or upperclassmen can help too.
Step 3: Don’t Give Up On Yourself
This may be the most important tip when it comes to saving your grades. So believe in yourself! You got this!
Step 4: But Know When It’s Time to Give Up
When you’re failing classes in college, it’s easy to lose hope. And I’m here to say you shouldn’t. But in case you decide the stress is really hurting your mental health, you have options!
Take a Class Either Pass/No Pass
NOTE!Before you do this, please talk to your professors, college counselors, and advisers because EVERY situation is different!
If it’s not too late, take the class Pass or No Pass (or Pass/Fail depending on what your college calls it). This way, you won’t have to stress about the class hurting your GPA. You will still have the option to retake the class if you fail.
HOWEVER, be aware that some colleges will not let you retake the class if you Pass! This can prevent you from completing requirements for graduate programs or WORSE, and prevent you from advancing in the major entirely! So do your research!
Withdraw from the Class If Necessary
The same goes for withdrawing from a class. This means instead of a letter grade, you will be getting a W on your transcript.
Depending on the situation, this could be your best option if the Pass/No Pass option is unavailable. However, although this will give you the option to retake the class, please keep in mind that some grad school programs may frown on this.
Remember, talk to a college counselor before you decided to do either option! I’m just a dumb kid on the internet trying to keep you informed!
Decided to Grind Instead? Okay Well Then Stop Stressing Out!
Before college, I was never close to failing a class. I would have anxiety over getting B’s. Being a first gen student, I saw college as the only way I could ensure financial security for both myself and my family.
Other students in the same position started giving up on their dreams of being doctors or engineers. I even knew someone who said “screw it, I’m gonna fail the final and just retake the class” and decided to practice ballet in the hall instead of studying.
However, the one bit of advice my RA told me really put my situation in perspective:
“You might fail. But as long as you know you did everything you could to succeed, then why even be disappointed in yourself? At least you know you really did everything you could.”
And that’s the key idea I believe every student should know. When failing classes in college, the worst that will happen is you find another subject to study or retake the class.
In one case, you realize maybe the major or subject wasn’t for you. On the other hand, you decide it’s something you’re willing to try out again.
If you’re a first gen, low-income, or underrepresented student, this might be the hardest pill you have to swallow. Especially when literally your family’s social mobility and financial security rests on your shoulders. But if you learn this lesson early, it might actually be a blessing. Now you’ll know if you definitely want to pursue that specific academic path.
What Happens if You Fail a Class in College?
If you fail a class and you need it for your major, you have to retake it in order to graduate. Not to mention, failing a class in college will hurt your GPA as an F is a 0.0 on a 4.0 GPA grade scale. So I would recommend trying your best to avoid failing a class.
At UCSB, 20% of the class will fail out of my chem class, each quarter. Meaning they will need to retake it. (Shout out to my chem professor for at least being honest.)
Even Though You’re Trying to Save Your Grades — You Might Fail:
People fail or have to retake classes for a lot of reasons. Failing college classes sucks but it happens. Even if you’re doing everything you possibly can to save your grades, sometimes it’s really beyond our control.
During my first quarter as a freshman, when I was literally failing all my classes in college, I was shocked. Perplexed. Bamboozled! I was so dumbfounded I started looking up fancy words in the dictionary to describe it!
But don’t stress too much if you failed your dream major! It may not be as big of a deal as you may think.
Remember, Your College Major Matters Less Than You Think!
Income differences and job security between majors might be less important than you think. If you don’t believe me, check out this New York Times article that says otherwise. So don’t get hung up on your job security.
You WILL find a job that WILL want to do. And it WILL provide financial security! That’s why you went to college in the first place. It might only look different than how you imagined.
I know a Psychobiology grad who now is researching education at UCLA, a Psychology major recruiting for tech, and an Italian major who now works in healthcare.
Hell, I’m a Biology Major who works in EdTech.
Your major will not be the ultimate determining factor of your financial success!
Your work ethic and your network will matter way more than whatever your degree says when you graduate.
However, until you get that final grade on your transcript, you don’t have to make that decision yet! There’s still time to save your grades!
So turn up some Rocky Music and get ready to GRIND!
Step 5. Take Control Over Your Anxieties!
After failing every midterm and quiz, doing enormously worse on each one despite all the adjustments I made, I didn’t quit.
I kept telling myself that “I still have the final.” I mean I did still have 40% of my grade on the line. The exam was on a curve and, at UCSB, they replace my lowest exam score with my final grade.
Effectively, I had 60% of my grade on the line! Talk about pressure.
I definitely used a TON of test-taking strategies to avoid letting my anxiety and stress get the better of me. Including:
- Getting a good night’s sleep (SUPER UNDERRATED)
- Writing out all my anxieties on a piece of paper and crumbling it (I don’t know why this worked for me. There’s just something satisfying about crumpling paper)
- Breathing exercises (Breathing in and out slowly and deeply at my seat for 30 seconds immediately before the test)
- And finally, having water to drink and gum to chew works for some people too
These are just a few techniques I used. Feel free to mix and match or find other techniques that work for you! They don’t need to be perfect. Despite all the pressure and the stress, the outcome was worthwhile.
The anxiety of checking my grades was insane!
The email said the average on the final was a 65%. That was actually 10% higher than my test averages in the class. When I checked my final grade I was SHOCKED!
I turned my F average into Solid B. And instead of failing my classes in college, I SAVED my grades.
This is from my UCSB GOLD page. I went from failing college classes to only A’s and B’s . This is how you save your grades!
I know I focused on my chem class but these tips could save anyone’s grades. Whether it’s a math class or a writing class, these tips definitely will help you save your grades.
These strategies saved my grades, I hope they help save your grades too. Regardless of how things went, go relax afterward! Destress from finals by shopping for a new school backpack, hanging out with friends, or just sleeping in! If you have any questions or tips, Tweet me at: @ChrisLanderos_
I’ll do the best I can to answer any of your questions.
Best,
Chris
FAQs
What to do when you're failing all your classes in college? ›
Meet With an Academic Advisor
If you're at risk of failing, it's a good idea to meet with an academic advisor. The advisor can go over your options if you fail or pass the class. At most schools, for example, students with a failing grade can retake the same class to replace the grade on their transcript.
Ask about extra credit.
A good way to bring your grade up is to do extra credit assignments. This can give you more points on an assignment that you failed. It can also give you an extra grade that will help bring up your overall average.
- Adjust your study habits. It could be possible that you are studying, but it's just not effective. ...
- Ask for help. There's no shame in asking for help. ...
- Stop procrastinating. ...
- Turn in missing work. ...
- Talk to your teacher. ...
- Request extra credit. ...
- Consider choosing a “pass/fail” grading. ...
- Don't give up.
While the main goal is to avoid failing a class in college, it could happen. Even if you do fail, you can retake the class and ask for help. Although it will negatively impact your GPA and could affect your financial obligations, you can bounce back.
Is my life ruined if I fail a class in college? ›The Consequences of Failing a Class
A failing grade will likely hurt your GPA (unless you took the course pass/fail), which could jeopardize your financial aid. The failure will end up on your college transcripts and could hurt your chances of getting into graduate school or graduating when you originally planned to.
Is it better to withdraw from a class or fail the class in college? According to Croskey, it is usually better to withdraw from a class. Exceptions may result for students with many withdrawals already if they can create a productive plan to retake the course after failing.
What grade percent is failing in college? ›Many college grading systems consider a D, or 65 percent, to be the lowest passing grade. Note that different schools, programs, or classes may have different cutoff points for what they consider a passing grade.
Can I get an F removed from my transcript? ›The transcript displays the official record of classes students enroll in during school, so most grades cannot be changed or removed. Courses changed before the drop/add date do not appear on the transcript, but any classes you do not drop after that date are part of the permanent record.
How do you recover from failing a semester? ›- Reconsider your major. If you are struggling with the academic content of your program, consider switching majors. ...
- Seek additional funding assistance. ...
- Seek counseling. ...
- Suspend your studies. ...
- Transfer to community college.
- Check your grades online. You know that newsfeed you monitor five times a day? ...
- Talk to your teacher about extra credit. Teachers love when students are proactive. ...
- What else is coming up this semester? ...
- Create a solid action plan. ...
- Consider getting a tutor to finish out the semester.
How much will my GPA drop if I fail a class? ›
The failing grade will NOT calculate in your GPA, but it will still show on your transcript. On your transcript, an "E" will show to the right of your failing grade to mark the course as "Excluded".
What happens if you fail a whole semester in college? ›Academic dismissal usually requires students to have failing grades over several semesters. Typically, if you fail several classes in one semester, you'll be put on academic probation. You'll be allowed to stay in school, but must bring up your grades to meet the university's minimum GPA requirement.
How many times will financial aid pay for a failed class? ›A student may receive aid when repeating a course for the first time. time. If a student fails the second attempt no more financial aid will be given to repeat the course a third time. If the second attempt is a withdrawal then it is allowable for a third attempt.
What happens if you fail a college class with fafsa? ›Failing or taking an incomplete grade in courses can impact your financial aid in multiple ways. The 3 main impacts may be owing money back for the current term, losing federal aid eligibility for future terms, and not meeting the renewal criteria for scholarships and institutional aid.
Is a D passing in college? ›At most schools, a D is the lowest passing grade. That means students who earn a D or higher receive credit for the course. However, some schools set special policies around D grades. For example, at Lehigh, a D counts as a passing grade but does not meet prerequisite requirements.
Can you succeed if you fail college? ›Failing in college doesn't stop you from being successful. Learn how to be resilient and redeem yourself if you failed a test, university class, your program, or even failed out. Our guide will give you the steps to recover and succeed after failure.
Can I restart college as a freshman? ›Someone who has already attended college cannot start over as a freshman college student. This is true even if the student has gone to college for just one semester or less. So, in other words, only a student who is applying to college directly from high school can be considered as a freshman.
How many classes is bad to withdraw? ›Withdrawing from one or two classes generally won't have too much of an impact on your GPA. However, if you withdraw from too many classes, or if they're all high-level courses, you could be in trouble. Dropping a class can affect your financial aid.
How many times can you retake a failed college course? ›Repeating Coursework
A course may be repeated only once. Although only the second grade earned (for better or worse) will be computed into your GPA, both grades will remain on your transcript.
Because a W has no effect on your GPA, you shouldn't worry too much about withdrawing from one class. If you take too many Ws on your transcript, you might face academic probation or raise the eyebrows of graduate schools. Still, what matters most is your GPA.
What will an F do to a 3.8 GPA? ›
An “F” will eliminate any chance you have of ever getting a 4.0 GPA (but for that matter, so will a “B” or anything but an “A”).
Do you have to pay financial aid back if you fail a class? ›Changes in your enrollment level and failing grades may require you to repay federal financial aid funds. Federal regulations require you to repay a portion of financial aid funds if you withdraw from all classes before satisfying the 60 percent completion rule for the enrollment term.