Failed Exams

Nightwish

i just failed half of my college exams and its so disheartening especially when i worked so hard to pass them. im also terrified of my parents reaction when they find out. ive already had 2 repeat a year and this year was to prove to them that im not wasting their money in college...
anyone else feeling like a failure right about now?

Eoin

Nightwish, sorry to hear that - the only thing I can advise is to look into the reasons behind failing the exams.

Are you doing a course that you are interested in, or has it come to the stage where you are studying just to prove you can make it, rather than a real interest in the area?

If you honestly worked very hard, then you may just need some help with study techniques - there is a difference between looking at text books for hours every day, and actually absorbing the information.

If you felt you knew your stuff, but froze during the exam then it may "just" be a case of overcoming nerves.

I can appreciate being nervous about your parents reaction, but if they know you have worked hard and you can tell them that you have an idea why you failed and what you can do to get around the problem, then it may not be too bad.

Nightwish

thanks for your advice. you are right-I am doing a course that I've lost interest in and I am trying to complete this course to prove my parents (who think I'm a failure) wrong...

Sleepy

How long have you to go in it?

If it's a matter of just getting through another year, stick at it. If you're looking at a few more years of a course you don't like, however, you'd be better off to leave it. Get a job for a year or two and save up the money to pay for a course you'd rather do and then by the time you reach the same year you're already in, you'd have no fees for your last year(s). You'd also prove your parents wrong in a much better way by doing that.

WhiteWashMan

Nightwish wrote:

i just failed half of my college exams and its so disheartening especially when i worked so hard to pass them. im also terrified of my parents reaction when they find out. ive already had 2 repeat a year and this year was to prove to them that im not wasting their money in college...
anyone else feeling like a failure right about now?

ah, i failed out of my college after 3 years of wasting my life.
well, ok, it wasnt wasted, but i failed for a simple reason.
i didnt do any work.

whats youre reason for failing.
coming out and saying that you have lost interest in a course is not a good excuse for failure.
are you afraid of what your parents will say because you actuallt didnt do your work. there must be some reason why there is guilt there...

astec123

May I advise telling your parents that you know you failed the exams even after all the work you put in. Do it before getting the grades to show you knew you did badly. At least then its not as hard a shock when you get the results, and if you did better than you thought at least it makes the blow better.

Jonny Arson

eoin_s wrote:

Nightwish, sorry to hear that - the only thing I can advise is to look into the reasons behind failing the exams.

Are you doing a course that you are interested in, or has it come to the stage where you are studying just to prove you can make it, rather than a real interest in the area?

If you honestly worked very hard, then you may just need some help with study techniques - there is a difference between looking at text books for hours every day, and actually absorbing the information.

If you felt you knew your stuff, but froze during the exam then it may "just" be a case of overcoming nerves.

I can appreciate being nervous about your parents reaction, but if they know you have worked hard and you can tell them that you have an idea why you failed and what you can do to get around the problem, then it may not be too bad.

Excellent post.

Nightwish, do you have the option of repeating your exams during the summer? If you do, you have an opportunity to get things right. Answer the questions eoin_s put to you before you make any decision but IMO if you dislike your course get out of it now. It is more important that you are happy with what you are doing with your life and not how happy your parents are with what you are doing. You are an adult and you have got to stand up for yourself with what you want to do. There is so much to do and so many career posibilities for young people and I'm certain there will be something out there for you.

Nightwish

thanks for the advice everybody. I can repeat them but it just pi$$ed me off so much after I worked so damn hard this year. I only have til xmas in the course then I'm done. I know I'm nearing the end of it but i really feel discouraged now.

CaptainPeacock

With the Leaving Cert you can work hard at things you don't really like and do well. It's different with college. You have to be doing the right thing. You can muddle through but you won't do well. There's probably something you're more suited to.

I never regret failing exams, though. When I did fail I felt bad at the time, but I don't regret it now. It's not that important.

Zillah

Nightwish wrote:

thanks for the advice everybody. I can repeat them but it just pi$$ed me off so much after I worked so damn hard this year. I only have til xmas in the course then I'm done. I know I'm nearing the end of it but i really feel discouraged now.

Alright then you have a chance. You say you worked really hard, and no college course is impossible, and you're clearly not mentally impaired, so there must be some reason this went wrong.

These are very important questions.

1 - How do you study? What do you do, for how long, where etc. Explain in much detail how you learn things.

(A person can spend thousands of hours "studying" but not ever learn anything. I am a lazy bugger, but when I do bother to study I make bloody sure that I'm learning something. There are some really good techniques, all much better than reading a book.)

2 - How did you feel after the exams? Did you know that you didn't do well?

(This relates to whether you know whats expected of you or not. If you understood what a good exam is then you should know roughly if you did well/badly after the exam. If you had no idea then that means you don't know whats required of you, and therefore you have little chance of doing well.)

I really want to help, because I know what its like to be in that sort of position, I found myself in a college course I didn't like, and I hated the thought of having no where to turn afterwards. Don't lose hope, this can be done, you just need to go about it properly.

Altheus

Not only are you wasting their money, your wasting your time.

Make your next move, admit to your parents you've wasted their money and time, take responsibility and start to think and act independantly of them.

drdre

man relax, there more to life than college. also just try repeat ur exams and try get back into college.

goodluck

kasintahan

Until you posted that you only had 'til Christmas left I was going to suggest you change course.
But if it only a bit consistent study now to pass the repeats then a short term to Christmas then you may as well keep at it.

You may aswell tell the parents, if they filp then it will only be for a day or so - then they'll calm down.

If it's any help, I left college (after wasting 3 years doing a couse I hated), worked for a year and then went to UCD. I just finished 1st year and I'm 24, now I'm doing a course I like in a college I like.

Nightwish

kasintahan wrote:

You may aswell tell the parents, if they filp then it will only be for a day or so - then they'll calm down.

i told them and they did flip but i suppose it has made me more determined to get that piece of paper that i'll never use

kasintahan wrote:

If it's any help, I left college (after wasting 3 years doing a couse I hated), worked for a year and then went to UCD. I just finished 1st year and I'm 24, now I'm doing a course I like in a college I like

its nice to hear that someone has felt the same way I am. I cant wait to do a course that I like, although how I'll afford it is another story. anyway thats a worry for another day.
thanks again for the advice

~Rebel~

Hey, im in a similer situation, in a course a hate but only 1 year left. Have muddled my way through 3 years, tho failed half my exams as well this summer so have to repeat (same happened last year). Its not just that i hate it that i do badly tho, its cause just cant get motivated to do something i dont like and to be honest im lazy when not into something. can pull my finger out when it comes to it but it just gets harder each year.

Let you're parents know how tough you find it in a course you dont like and they'll appreciate the work you do put in more. Mine know im finding it really hard to figure out whats going on in mine and are very understanding of it and just have faith in me to get through it in the end, albeit probably not with flying colours. At the end of the day its worth having anyway, as nearly done, just even for qualification on CV and something to fall back on in emergency. Thats my plan anyway and then to go try and do something that really interests me after.

My brother did a Geology degree he never really used and went back to do a mature student HDip last year and is now a teacher which he loves. hes 29this year so this isn't you're only chance, can always go onto other stuff till you find your "vocation".