Student Reflections

When I think about the classes I have done poorly in over the years, I find that my poor performance had more to do with me than with the material. The course material was no harder than that of any other class I had taken, yet I found myself struggling to get a passing grade. My favorite example of this was the Physics class I took in high school. I would show up to class every day afraid of numbers and convinced that I would not do well. When the grades came out at the end of the semester, it turned out that I was correct. At the time, I stored this fact in the back of my mind as proof that I am not capable of doing well in a class in which I must work with numbers. Imagine my surprise when 2 years and 1 boost in confidence later I earned an A in Physical Science at the college level.

Looking back, I realize that confidence is the only thing that changed between the two classes. When you enter a class and you are nervous about the content, the worst thing you can do is view failure as your only option. This mindset will follow you for the duration of the course and failure may be your end result. This failure may not be the result of your not having the ability to complete the material successfully; it may be the result of your belief that achieving anything above a failing grade is impossible.

You do not have to do this alone. If you register for a class and you believe you will struggle with it, there are resources here to help you. I invite you to take the time to visit suite 100-C in Buchanan Hall and see the friendly people in the TAN office. They should be able to place you with a tutor who will work with you during the semester to assist you in doing well in even the toughest classes. It is also important to remember that your instructors have office hours. If at all possible use these hours to get clarity about the subject matter and raise any concerns you may have about your performance in the course.

Guest Blogger~Sabrina Hassell