10/13/2020 5 Comments I Got My Grade Back...Uh OhIf you are a student like me, you know school is filled with grades and tests. Grades and scores can be derived from a range of things, from quizzes to unit tests to midterms to Advanced Placement exams to the SAT. No matter the significance of the test, at some point or another you are bound to get back a score that you do not like.
This topic is of particular importance to me this week, because I recently got my SAT score. While the score I received is considered very good and I worked hard studying all summer, I fell short of my goal. I was very disappointed. I had worked hard. I had my hopes set on seeing a certain number, and that score was not achieved. While I am still disappointed, I know it was only my first attempt, I was not far from my goal, and I have other opportunities to achieve my desired outcome. Plus, I am feeling much better because I altered my mindset to view the events in a different way. I want to share some of my thought processes, and hope that they will help you when you get a grade you are not happy with, regardless of if it is from a small quiz or your final exam. The first thing I found helpful was allowing myself to be upset. It is perfectly understandable that I was upset. I had a set of expectations for how I would perform and those expectations were not met. I did not, however, allow myself to be upset for long. I gave myself two days to be sad and think about how disappointed I was, but after those two days it was time to move on. Another thing I reminded myself of was that there was absolutely nothing I could have done differently to have gotten a higher score. When I was reflecting on my months of studying and how prepared I was for the test day, there was nothing I would have done differently. I studied for many hours and put forth a solid effort. I do not wish I studied more, because I studied the amount that was right for me. The night before the test I went for a walk, ate a good dinner, and went to bed early. The day of the test I ate a good breakfast, wore comfortable clothing, and focused. I entered the “testing zone.” I had prepared and it was time to execute. Understanding this and coming to this conclusion, helped me be more at peace with the test results. My preparation was, what I would consider, perfect. This leads to something else I told myself, which was there is no changing my score. I can be disappointed with what I got, but there is no way the number will change. All I can focus on is doing better next time. I cannot change the past, but I can control what happens in the future. I can go and take the test again. While I prepare for my next test, I will work hard and stay motivated. I need to convince myself “I got this!” because, if I go in with that mindset, I will do much better than if I dwell on the past. Those were some of the things I used to change my mindset from disappointed to positive. If this situation relates to you, I hope sharing my experience and thought processes will help! A major takeaway for both bad test grades and many other things in life is to work hard, have no regrets, and know you cannot change your past but you can change your future. Have you received a test score you are not happy with? It is not something people normally like to share, but it is normal and part of life. Do you have any failed testing stories? Let me know in the comments.
5 Comments
Zoe
10/13/2020 04:53:38 pm
I wouldn’t say it’s a failure by any means, but I can definitely relate to feeling disappointed about test scores. In my case, it was an AP Exam, not the SAT, and while I’m still proud of my score and the work that went into it, the score I received was definitely not my goal going into the test. I loved the honesty and candidness about your reaction, because you’re right, it definitely sucks to feel like you’ve failed, even if it’s just from internal pressure, but I love that you point out that having perspective is really important :)
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Real and Relatable (Madeleine)
10/14/2020 07:56:00 pm
Thank you very much for your thoughtful comment! I am so sorry to hear about that exam, but I know you worked hard and gave it your all. Plus, I know you are going to succeed countless times in the future :))
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Marge Stern
10/13/2020 09:15:07 pm
I feel your pain but I have faith in you that if you follow what you just wrote you will accomplish that special goal. Your honesty will help others as well.
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Real and Relatable (Madeleine)
10/14/2020 07:57:09 pm
Thank you so much! I’ll be going in with that “I got it” attitude!
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Real and Relatable (Madeleine)
11/10/2020 09:47:14 am
Thank you so much! I’ll be going in with that “I got it” attitude!
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