Colleges or Universities design their curriculum in such a way that the students are engulfed with all subjects and gain knowledge about all the subjects. All the subjects are essential for developing the potential of the student to withstand the outside world and the harsh realities of getting employment. No two people have the same brain size or work in the same manner. Every individual has different thinking capacities, learning capacities and even retaining capacities. Every individual’s brain connectivity varies more in areas that relate to integrating information than in areas for the initial perception of the world. With many ups and downs which a student has to face while studying in college, failing a subject or a class is one of them. It is a major issue which many students have to come across, due to different reasons.
Failing a subject does not mean end of academic career though but may affect the chances of a better future. Failing is never intended from the beginning, but there are various reasons due to which a student fails a particular subject or a class. To find that reason is very important in order to know the true reason behind the failure.
Possible reasons for failure
There can be many reasons regarding the failure of a student in any particular subject, a few of which are stated below :
- Sometimes a student hates a subject due to which a student might fail too just because of the way it is taught.
- Sometimes a student might fail a subject due to some unexpected incidents taking place.
- Sometimes a student might fail a subject because a student feels detached or uninterested in the subject due to the person taching it or the student is unable to percieve the information which is taught.
- Sometimes a student might fail a subject because he/she may be feeling overwhelmed by the course work that a student needs to under take to pass.
Understanding the possible impacts and outcomes of failure
There can be many consequences or impacts regarding the failure of a student academically, a few of which are stated below :
- A failing grade can affect the GPA (Grade Point Average), which can threaten the students chances of getting a financial aid.
- When a F grade appears on the transcript records for any particular subject, that cannot be earsed from the transcript records. While changing school or getting transferred from one school to another, transcript records or TR is a very essential document which is a must. Transcript records are supposed to be submitted upon enrollment to a new college or school, because it decides the basic academic qualification of a student, whether the student is eligible to enroll for a particular desired course or how many units a student still needs to acquire to enroll or finish a particular desired course in a college or a University.
- In case a student gets a F grade on the transcript record, a student can definetely take the re-exam for that subject and change the transcript records according to the new results.
Outcomes of failure
- Sometimes when a student is unsure about passing a particular subject, a student should consider dropping or withdrawing options, as a failing grade will lower a student’s GPA, which may hinder a students overall average result, thus jeopardising the students future.
- An academic probation may also be provided to a failing student. Academic probation is a trial period when a student is warned about his/her academic performance and the GPA drops below certain requirements. If the GPA still does not improve after academic probation, then the student is put on academic suspension or the student is expelled from the college.
Before getting an academic suspension, a student is given a term to improve the academic performance and increase the GPA. A failing student or a student on academic probation or suspension is unable to participate in any academically sponsored activities or events.
Failing can have a substantial impact on the ability to get funds or financial aids for a student’s higher education chances. One may loose the ability to gain a financial aid from any potential source due to the failure in any subject in the college. One may also be wasting the precious time in repeating the same course or subject that one has failed, as many sponshorships, universities and post graduate programs require a higher GPA or good score.
Ways to prevent academic failure
- Changing the Point of View towards a subject one hates
To love and progress at anything, one needs to be affirmative about it and develop a keen interest. Reframing a mindset about studying a certain subject that one feels like one might fail can also help in loving it. One has to initiate or take an interest in studying that subject then and then only one can love it. Changing attitude towards academics may help in impproving the grades, for example rather than considering it as a compulsive burden one can change the viewpoint and view it as an opportunity. Instead of thinking “have to” one can think “choose to” as a change of point of view. For instance when a student is likely to fail or has already failed then a student may follow this chain;
- Sharing difficulties and reaching out for help to mentors or tutors
It happens sometimes that one might fail or develops a dislike for a particular subject, or concept just because one is unable to understand it completely. Sometimes students are just fond of certain subjects as they ace in that subject, or like the methods in which it is taught, or even find it more relatable. But opposite to that student forms a hatred for a certain subject to the topic just because the student finds it difficult to understand. Thus in such cases, one should reach out to the teacher, or an elder, or a senior student, or whoever one feels comfortable to study with.
