My Story
Back in 2005, when I was an undergraduate at “Ole Miss,” I started taking online classes for the first time. I was too afraid to transfer on campus and live in the dorm, so my aunt suggested to my mother that I take classes online from home. There were not many universities offering online courses in Mississippi back then, so I chose Ole Miss because it offered more English courses. By August 2005, in the fall semester, my first time logging on to my courses, I immediately became overwhelmed. I did not know what class to complete first because I was taking a total of 12 hours. I was anxious and nervous, not knowing what to do.
So, my mother told me to work on each assignment one at a time. She told me to work in a timely manner, then check my work, and move on to the next assignment. I had to start early in the week and not wait until the last minute. After a few weeks, I was not paying attention to my coursework. I was not getting up early, and I made excuses that online courses were not real courses, which is a total lie.
By December 2007, my grades had the last say. All “F”s. I filed an academic appeal, and my interview was a success, but it was to no avail because my heart and my focus were not in it.
The Moral of the Story
The moral of this story is to do your work. Do all your assignments, all your reading, all your math, and work hard at it. The following steps can be used by any student, at any school, to help you if you are failing, whether it is due to lack of understanding or lack of effort. These life experiences will assist you along the way.
Five Steps to Academic Success
- Be honest about your failure. Being truthful will give you the determination to either sink or swim on your own. Being able to work through your failures, to work them out by trying again and again to learn the information, doing what you need to do for yourself, will help give you a good work ethic. Meeting your failures head on, and not burying your head in the sand to avoid them, is all about growing up and being responsible.
- Get a job, even if it is just for minimum wage. If I had not been distracted by thinking about other things when I was 16, I would not have to be trying to get my first job now. Unfortunately, I had to learn to get my focus later in life. But I am getting it now, and that is what is important. Learn early to be focused and not let distractions enter your mind.
- Ask for help, let go of pride. Ask for help if you do not understand a lesson in class. Don’t be afraid to raise your hand. Let your teacher know that he or she is going too fast. Ask for tutoring online. There are many free websites that offer help to struggling students. Minimize extracurricular activities, and concentrate on school.
- Tell your parents. Tell your parents the truth about your falling grades. Don’t get upset or disappointed if they get angry that your grades have slipped. Ask them to help you map out a plan, or tell them what thoughts you have about doing better in school and put those thoughts into action.
- Don’t drop out of school. Refuse to let negative thoughts or negative people into your mind and into your circle. Allow your teachers and the faculty to help you. Let your guidance counselors help, too. Then, go to a quiet place. Sit down, take your time, and study. Take good notes in class; write down everything the teacher says if you have to. Until you make hitting the books a habit, it will never be. You, as the student, have to put in the work.
The Research on Failure in School
According to Paderes and Ramos, “Through such a memorandum, Grade 1–10 education learners are promoted to the next grade level if they have a final grade of at least 75 in all learning areas. But then, if they fail in not more than two learning areas, they are required to attend remedial classes. In case they fail in three or more learning areas, they are to be retained in the same grade level. On the other hand, in senior high school (Grades 11 and 12), if learners fail, they must attend remedial classes after school hours or during school breaks. In case they still fail remediation, they will retake the failed subject as a back subject. This measure is a form of intervention for students at risk of academic failure.”
Conclusion
In conclusion, failure in school cannot be prevented, but it can be fixed. Students have to put into their schoolwork what they want to get out of it—the time and effort depends on them. No one can force a kid to improve. But if people take the time to show them the right steps to follow, students will learn to do better and succeed.
Read more articles related to self-development and education on our Zealousness blog Educational Articles for Students | Insights & Resources – iN Education.
References:
- Paderes, Bernard M., and Clariza Ramos. 2024. “Teachers’ Decision-Making in Grading Students at Risk of Academic Failure During the Implementation of the Basic Education Learning Continuity Plan.” FEU Journal of Graduate Students’ Research 1(1):1-17.
