Alright, Bears, we are this close to semester end, this semester ends on the 26th, which means we have 8 blue and 7 gold days (as of Jan 6th). And while the beginning of a new semester means a fresh start for all of us, it also means that we all need to buckle down for the end of this semester. This means catching up in your current classes and setting yourself up for success next semester. I would like to note before we begin, in no way are your grades connected to your significance as a person, your grades and academic performance do not need to be perfect for you to be valid, with that being said, let’s get into it.

Bad grades. It’s a sad part of teenagedom (I know that’s not the right word, but it’s what we’re going with) that sucks for everyone, and as we approach semester-end bad grades become so much scarier. Don’t worry though, I am here to help you get your grades ready for semester end. The first thing you’re going to want to do to improve those grades is turn in all of your missing assignments; if this is something you need a lot of help with this article is gonna be a good resource for you. If this is not the case, and you have all your missing assignments in and are still having trouble with your grades then there are other options to explore to get those grades up.

Many teachers around semester-end will begin to introduce extra credit opportunities for students to get their grades up. I would definitely take your teacher up on this and at the very least attempt the credit, whatever assignment you do for the credit will not harm your grade in any way so even if whatever you turn in is a little lackluster you will still benefit from it in some way.

Additionally, many teachers have policies concerning tests or quizzes that allow you to earn points back on less than perfect results. If a teacher offers point retrieval on tests or quizzes definitely take advantage of that, this will allow you to earn back your points without risking getting a worse score. If a teacher offers retakes be sure to clarify whether or not they will accept the better score or the new score of the quiz or test. If they accept the better score then you should at least give the retake a shot, if they accept the new score then be a bit more cautious when deciding whether or not to retake the assessment as you risk the possibility of getting a lower score.

Finally, worse comes to worst, don’t be afraid to talk to (or beg) your teacher for opportunities to get a better grade in the class. Overall teachers want you to succeed in school, they don’t tend to get any joy or reward from giving students a bad grade, and 9 of 10 times they will give you some pity and give you ways to improve your grade. Hopefully, this article helps you get those grades up. If you want advice on how to best to get in your missing assignments you can go to this link, if you want tips on how to best prepare yourself for finals go to this link, and if you want advice on how to start the next semester off right you can go to this link.