By: Shasidhar Vadlamudi

Getting a bad grade in a class, it happens to everyone. For some people, it may be a 70 and for some, it may be a 90. There are countless reasons for getting a bad grade in a class, whether it may be procrastination, lack of interest, or laziness. Arguably the most prominent reason is students not liking the class and therefore not trying or putting effort into the class. This happens to many high schoolers when they get a class they do not enjoy but have to take it because of requirements or the social pressure of getting into a good college. Here’s an example of what often happens when students don’t get a class they strongly dislike. Typically, one starts off fine and earns average grades, but then after a slip-up or two, he or she starts getting bad grades consistently and begins wondering why; most of the times that student expresses that he or she was busy or the teacher did a bad job teaching.

Often times as a result of this downward trend, students compare their grades to the grades of their peers to justify themselves and the current situation they are facing. Unless they recognize the source of this downward trend or seek help, students normally continue getting bad grades in the class because of constant procrastination, even as others recover and begin to improve. This dilemma isn’t the end of the world and certainly isn’t rare. This happens to everyone at some point, and there is no shame about it. But ultimately, a student’s level of conscientiousness and work ethic decides his or her grade for that class. Despite not enjoying a certain subject or course, students will find themselves at a crossroads where they could either do something about it or simply be satisfied with their grades and move on.

Trying to get a good grade in a class one doesn’t like can be very challenging and requires a lot of willpower. Students have to develop effective study methods in order to attain improvement, and there is a different path for everyone depending on his or her strengths and weaknesses. If one does manage to pull it off, this skill will help him or her tremendously later on in life, and he or she will be a more motivated person because of his or her ability to complete tasks he or she dislikes with ease. Another path one could take is accepting that the class is not for him or her which depends on his or her personality and dedication. Whether students make the choice or not depends on who they are and how much motivation they have to get sufficient grades.