[Feature] Help! I Don't Want To Fail Out of My First Semester of College!

Dear _________,

Congratulations! You are close to finishing up your very first semester of college! It’s amazing how fast time flies when you are hardly studying having fun! But now it’s time to get into hardcore “study-mode,” especially if you want to be around for the next semester.

As a freshman in college, we make many mistakes. Whether it’s regretting to room with an old high school friend who turns out, doesn’t make a good roommate, or taking that 8AM class because you figured it would be alright since you had to get to school at that time during the past 12 years of your life, the choices we make always come back to bite you in the ass. But luckily, with two weeks until the semester ends, it might not be too late to (gasp!) salvage your grades! Take it from a self-proclaimed college slacker .. ME!

I missed too many classes and am totally lost as to what’s on the final.
Relax. Well, not really. The beauty of college is that you have all the resources out there, except you need to actively go out there and make use of them. If a professor keeps mentioning a study session, you sure as hell better be sitting in the front row of the study session, writing down anything and everything discussed
Also, talking to your professors has got to be the smartest move for many reasons. They are the ones who give you the grade, and when it comes down to straddling a grade between a C+ and a B-, the professor will be more willing to give you the better grade as long as they know your face. Sure, it seems lame to suddenly take an interest in your class and become a teacher’s pet, but college grades are a do-or-die situation. Linger after class or go to your professor’s office hours. And the key here is the art of conversation. Don’t go straight in and demand a good grade. Soften your professor up. Remember that scene in “Clueless” when Cher sweet talks all of her teachers to raise her grade? Sympathize with a professor who is stressed out about getting tenure. Or go the honest route and just tell the professor why you took the course and why you might be struggling. They’re human, too. They have hearts. In a few rare cases, professors have also been known to give a little information on exams during their office hours. But remember, you still should be studying your ass off.

My professor is an ass and known to be impossible to talk to. How else can I manage to get some last minute study tips?
Not all professors are awesome. Probably because they feel like they gave a lot of information throughout the semester, and had you been paying attention in class, you wouldn’t need help. Boo for them! But fear not! Find classmates on Facebook and send them a message asking them if they have the notes you need, or if they want to form a study session. You might come off a bit stalkerish, but trust me, you won’t be the only one freaking out about exams. Even the people who know their stuff will be glad to help out; strangely enough, by helping someone else study and telling them all you know is a great study tactic. It’s one of those you-scratch-my-back-I’ll-scratch-yours scenarios.

Aside from the studying, I think I might have too many absences! Augh!
This has got to be the worst feeling EVER! But before you freak out, go talk to your professor to make sure. If possible, try to find a loophole – who knows, you might have been in class, but the professor forgot to mark you in. Show the day’s worth of notes (as little as it might be) because it’ll be enough proof for your professor. Every little bit counts towards the end of a semester, and getting your grade lowered because of absences is crucial in making or breaking you.
If it turns out that you have too many absences, sadly, there’s no real hope there. There’s no point of stressing out over exams if you already failed the course, by means of absences. It sucks, but you need to learn how to manage your absences next semester. Just take the fail, and hopefully you’ll have learned your lesson later on when you retake the course to replace that eyesore.

What else can I do?
Study.your.ass.off. Pull an all-nighter or two during those study days. Surround yourself with a group of studious people. Say no to end-of-the-semester parties, especially if you’re still not done with exams. Retype your notes. Study index cards during meals or on the bus.

Disclaimer: These last-minute tactics will not ensure your ability to pass a class. Results may vary, depending on amount of studying done and effort taken to manage a good grade. If you are not satisfied with results, it’s probably your own damn fault. Learn from your mistakes and next semester, you’ll be at the top of your game. Advice is not for party animals, lazy asses, or procrastinators.