APU Careers & Learning Online Learning

How to Tell When You’re Doing Poorly in College

failing-school-5-tips-for-helpBy Online Learning Tips Staff

Typically, the warning signs of failure in school are obvious. Your grades are teetering over a C, you’re constantly asking for extensions, getting incompletes on assignments, or you simply don’t understand anything going on in the class. What’s worse is that some people don’t realize they’re failing until the final grade is posted. Waiting until the last minute to rectify your standing in the class is not a good idea. Be proactive about classwork, and ask for help before the final test.

Still not sure where you stand in school? The reasons could be staring you in the face, and you haven’t picked up on them yet. These are the 5 most common signs that you’re failing in a class:

  1. You have a C or D average. This means you’re not mastering the content, but possibly getting by without fulling understanding the material. This is particuarly dangerous with an online class, since you don’t meet face to face with the professor to discuss your grade and how to improve it. Don’t be your own worst enemy, ask the teacher what you need to work on before the class ends.
  2. Extensions are often requested, and you’re still getting incompletes. If you constantly rely on extra time as an educational crutch as opposed to something circumstantial, then it might be time to re-evaluate if you have time for school. This may mean you can’t keep up with the pace of college. Good time management skills can help here.
  3. You spend too much time reading or doing homework. Typically, professors assign work with time constraints in mind. They take into account that a student may be in more than one class and possibly working. The assignments are geared towards being done in a manageable period of time. If you find yourself spending all of your time on the work then you may have an issue with comprehending the course material. This could be relative, some teachers don’t take these factors into account in relation to the time span of the class and outside factors.
  4. There is too much time on social networks. Checking status updates, fan pages, tweets, or micro-videos is a good way to pass a half hour to maybe an hour a day. If you find you can’t tear yourself away long enough to get your work done, then you need to break your bad habit.
  5. You hate where you are. If you really dread school every week, and you find yourself putting things off in order to not deal with them, then you need to rethink what you’re doing. Maybe school isn’t the place for you to be, or maybe try a new program. If you’re unhappy, it will show in your grades, attitude toward assignments, and length of time it takes to get your degree. Try contacting your student advisor if you’re unhappy and want a change, they’re there to help you.

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