Handling rejection and setbacks

Stage 3 of 7 · 7 lessons · ~2 weeks

Failed exams and a low CGPA

A failed paper or a low CGPA feels permanent, especially when family and classmates are watching. Find out what really happened, fix the way you study, use the options your university gives you, and learn to talk about grades honestly.

Start: Find out what actually happened

Lessons· one lesson for each topic, in this order

  1. 1Find out what actually happened
  2. 2Fix how you study, not only how much
  3. 3Know your options: resits, repeats and help
  4. 4Telling your family about results
  5. 5What a low CGPA does and does not close
  6. 6Talking about your grades honestly
  7. 7When the subject might be the wrong fitOptional

Do this

  • Look at your marked paper or ask the teacher where you lost marks
  • Sort the causes into preparation, the exam itself and circumstances
  • Read your university's official rules for resits or repeats and note the deadline
  • Change one study habit for two weeks: self-testing, spaced practice or timed past papers
  • Tell your family yourself with the fact, what you learned and the plan
  • Write your honest two-sentence answer about your CGPA

Start with

  • CourseFree
    Learning How to Learn (Coursera)

    Deep Teaching Solutions on Coursera · Beginner

    The best-known free course on how memory and practice work, free to audit

Practise

  • Spaced repetition flashcards, for facts you keep forgetting before exams

Keep handy

Also worth your time

Before moving on: A recovery note for one failed exam or a low CGPA: the real causes sorted into preparation, exam and circumstances, your university's rule and deadline for the next attempt, the study method you are changing, and your honest two-sentence answer about grades.

Tauseef's advice
A bad grade is a measurement of one paper on one day, not a measurement of you. The fix is almost always in the method, the timing or the circumstances. Find which, fix that, and stop punishing yourself with more hours of the same thing.

Struggling right now? If you are in danger or thinking about harming yourself, contact local emergency services or a crisis line: Find a helpline (any country), Umang (Pakistan), Tele-MANAS, 14416 (India).

Mark this stage as not done?