Tis’ the Season of Discouragement: Overcoming a Bad Mark(s)

By: Alana J. Cameron Third Year Political Science Student

A Healthy Response to a Bad Mark

1) Stay calm and don’t succumb to knee jerk reactions…Feeling upset is normal but remember these initials feelings will calm. Succumbing to these negative feelings can lead to more stress and disappointment. If needed, seek out a healthy way to vent and relax.

2) Take your time to review and understand the mark...Carefully review your own work to identify where you might have gone wrong. Read the marker’s notes for reference. Taking action to better understand your mark can help relieve negative feelings.

3) If possible, take further action to understand the mark and seek out the marker…Ask for explanation and justification of the mark. Go in with an open mind and not expectations. Remember, you should only perform this step after you have calmed to maintain a respectful and constructive conversation between yourself and the marker.

Leaving the Bad Mark Behind

4) Be realistic but remember that grades are not everything...We hear this a lot and it can be frustrating because marks are important in some situations. However, we must remember that bad marks are a part of life. There is so much more going on in our lives that focusing on one bad grade is not worth the time if it affects other aspects of our lives.

5) Accept the mark as a learning experience...Every failure is something to learn from. A failure is not a useless experience and it does not mean give up. Failures teach us better ways to approach things, inform us of our weaknesses, shine on our strengths, and encourage self-improvement and development. Remember, no one is perfect at everything.

6) Do not let a mark define you or your capabilities...Marks can get to our head and start to affect the rest of our life negatively. We can start to see ourselves as not capable of other things. If you find this happening, do not be ashamed and remember there is always someone to talk to and that Western offers psychological services for students in need. Remember, your potential and worthiness goes well beyond marks.

Issue 1, February 1, 2016