I'm going to fail college exams!

my advice to you, is to study the day/night before for each one, look at past questions and just give it your best shot, what have you to lose by attempting the exams? I got through college on day before study in all my exams. Do a little bit of revision tonight and get stuck in tomorrow.

Well, I failed my first year in Uni because I too didn't do the work. I failed all four subjects dismally. I got less than 10% in three subjects and under 30% in the other.

I repeated the year and passed, then finsihed Uni with a degree and a PhD and haven't looked back since

What's my point? Firstly, I sat the exams even though I knew I would fail. I'm glad I did because some colleges take a very dim view of people failing to show up and bar them from repeating!! So go, there, write your name and exam number on the paper, try to answer something, anything really. Sit in the hall for a while, most exam halls allow students to leave after one hour, you may not have to sit the three hours, ask an invigilator (the people who supervise the exam hall).

Secondly, you feel terrible now and guilt and panic are stopping you from doing what you should be doing. If there is an option for you to repeat in the Autumn then start studying now but with a view to this being preparation for the repeat exams.

Believe it or not, I knew people in College who would deliberately only study for two subjects to pass them in the Summer and then rely on studying for the other exams later and passing in the repeats! That was their strategy, risky but for a lot of people it worked.

Thirdly, if you are feeling that stressed about it, contact your course director or tutor and say that you know you haven't done the required work and feel miserable and are know you will fail. Just say that for one reason or another you haven't managed to put in the necessary time. Ask them what your options are. These people are there to help you.

Finally, if you do fail, perhaps it will be the best thing that happened to you, we all need something to push and motivate us and you can use this experience to help you by telling yourself you will never let anything like this happen to you ever again. It worked for me Keep the chin up, give your bones a shake and wake up your spirit Best of luck.

EDIT: SmellyIrishMan made some excellent points, good advice there, follow it. It's up to YOU then

In the exact same situation as u right now, but with a small diff, i left work and went back 2 college full time, and like u, its been a while. I have done everything else but study, but i plan to look as the past papers and go through them. Maths i am kinda screwed for but we got an assignment over the xmas and history has shown that one r 2 questions have re appeared. So my advice 2 u is past papers, also, if there was also some one u could study and compare notes with as well always helps.
best of luck mate.

I always find the hardest part of studying is just getting around to opening the book, after that its usually ok.

Just revise the pass papers, make concise notes and ask a friend if your stuck on a certain part.

Good luck with the exams

The lads have given you some very good advise on here.

Between now and Tuesday you can easily cover enough of any IT degree subject if you make it your mission (Im talking shutting yourself away from the world and doing 10 hours a day over the weekend). If you just immerse yourself in it from the time you get up to the time you go to bed you can and probably will at least pass the exam.

Don't even think about the second one until the first is done though. Start tonight, make up a list of topics which will be on the exam, and start taking them one by one. Cover each topic repeatedly until you know it. Remember its only at max a 3 hour exam, which means theres in theory only 3 hours worth of writing you need to know, which is probably 6 areas.

Take the easy questions first. Pick off the low hanging fruit. Learn the algorithms for the programming one, learn the formulae for the maths (and practice practice practice the technique). 40% is easy enough to pick up in those exams if you can make an attempt at all questions.

If you apply yourself 100% This time next week you will be out celebrating with your mates about how you gave it your best shot, and I fully expect to read that post from you next Thursday.


Oh and one more thing. When this is all over, dont find yourself here posting the same thing come June. Get into the habit of doing one days study a week, and make good notes. You'll thank yourself.