Dealing with Setbacks in Academic Performance: A Personal Reflection

[starchild75]

Hi all

I just got my first B on a test since returning to college. All my other grades have been A's. It was on a precalc test. I have been working 60 hours a week, so I haven't had the chance to invest myself as I did on the other tests in the course. I suppose I should be happy with an 85, and my average is 93, but I feel like I cheated myself, like I am capable of better. Can anyone relate?

 

[Office_Shredder]

It's not the end of the world. If you think you need to get better grades, start working on the next test, start reviewing the material you're weak on, and stop dwelling on the A that never was.

 

[dontdisturbmycircles]

I can sort of relate. I do happen to push myself to try to perform at my best, most of the time anyway. But I doubt I could do it if I was working 60 hours a week. Are you sure you can handle that sort of work load? There has to be a point at which your grades decrease due to such a high work load.

I wouldn't sweat the 85, sounds like a pretty good grade to me. My attitude is that I don't give a crap about my grades, I care only about the knowledge I have attained. So if I was in your position and could go back and learn precalc down cold, I would be very happy.

 

[moose]

Use it as motivation if nothing else. Beating yourself up over this would be stupid.

60 hours a week? If you are talking about a job, that's insane. Hit up some loans if you have to and give yourself a break.

I'm a senior in high school, so I'm not yet in college, but I do know what working 40 hours a week along with going to school full time does to my friends. In your case it's 60 hours a week.

 

[starchild75]

yeah, it is the only course I am taking, but the hours do add up. I am married, also. so we have rent and bills to pay. I am going back fulltime next august.

 

[dontdisturbmycircles]

You're in a tough spot, I thought you were going to school full time and working 60 hours a week. Still, even with only one course, 60 hours is pretty hectic. 85 is nothing to be ashamed of at all. As moose said, don't beat yourself up over it. Spend a bit of the weekend going over precalc and you'll be fine.

 

[verty]

You don't have to be perfect, you know.

 

[kdinser]

As I've found in the last couple years since going back to school for an EE degree, sometimes you just have to acknowledge that your not up to a certain challenge.

You may be smart and you may be determined, but that can not always compensate for a lack of study time. I've worked 30+ hours a week this semester and only took 3 classes. The problem was that all 3 where lab classes and I hadn't anticipated how much time those labs were going to take. On average, I spend about 70 hours a week studying or working. I'm top of my class in 2 out of 3 of those classes, but unless the professors curve them, my GPA will not reflect that fact.

 

[budala]

perfectionist, I am having a hard time to pass my courses; 65% is my perfection, you be happy and good luck.

 

[Ki Man]

You're in a tough spot, I thought you were going to school full time and working 60 hours a week.

lol i thought so to at first, but then that would be school 8-3 for 8 straight hours and then going to work for another 10 hours or so, and i doubt you would schedule yourself in a way thta gives you only about 5 hours of free time to sleep, eat, and study until you start the cycle over again

i have the same problems with my classes, except i don't exactly pay the best attention

 

[eep]

i can understand your situation. I'm a full-time student and a full-time father :) at a young age. this is my 3rd semester after transferring from a community college and i have to retake 3 classes from my first 2 semesters because i didn't have time for school (my daughter's just about to turn 1). my gpa is about a 1.3 right now and I'm used to a near 4.0. this semester is going very well, however, as my daughter's in daycare now. don't worry about a b - b's are just fine. all you can do is try your hardest. even if you know you can master the material given enough time, there is still only 24 hours in a day. don't stress about grades!

 

[Equilibrium]

Its all about luck...

(Damn minus 5 foggetting to bring Lab gown at my 1st experiment in Chem labs!)

Basically i think you need a high level of accuracy to ace most tests

 

[starchild75]

Yeah, I don't know what I did wrong, yet. I just know what grade I got.

 

[Ki Man]

i'm willing to bet money that as soon as you see what you did wrong, you will slap yourself in the forehead and say 'I KNEW THAT.' *smack*

dont kill yourself over it as long as you try your best next time

 

[starchild75]

Yeah, I got 2 points off for listing an x-intercept as (0,2). I lost 3 points for using the wrong formula on an interest problem. I thought the forumula he was looking for was only used for mortgages. Then, I lost 6 points because I misunderstood what he was looking for. Had I known what he was looking for, I would have had at least four of those six points. But I am planning on doing well on the last exam, and I learned the material from this chapter well, so all is certainly not lost. Thanks for all your input.