8 min read
“How To Recover From A Poor First Semester”
Introduction
My whole life, I’ve been a good student. I know that sentence is likely grammatically/syntactically incorrect, but it’s the easiest for me to say it that way. I was always the student that paid attention, followed directions, and did what they were told leading all the way up to my Sophomore year of High School. Then, I learned that there was more to life than good grades. More importantly, I learned that they didn’t, and would never define who I was. Not even the SAT was capable of doing that. I was more than that.
However, it was never good enough of a reason to throw everything I had away and just take the easiest classes possible – no. But, it did lead to me getting some pretty disappointing results and grades that have resulted in me now, years ahead, asking the question: “what could’ve I done better to have more comfortably recovered from those poor results?”
This post is my answer, and the mathematical answer to that question. What can you do to get back to the top after falling down so far?
Ask This First
Before you take the first step, or really the second step, you must -before anything else- assess how “bad” you did. I used to think that just because I did poorly on a few assignments, a test or two, or even for an entire quarter, that everything was screwed. My grades were in the bin, and there was no way for me to recover.
No. That’s not true.
Even if you failed some of your classes in your first semester, or just got Cs and Ds here and there, there is still a way to get Cs, Bs, and even As in some of them, for the full year – and not for just the second semester. What really matters to us here is the full-year grade because that’s what colleges will be looking at – not how you did in a quarter or semester.
And if you’re not going to college, but have some other external reason behind you taking difficult classes, then you should see your grades the same way. What matters is not how you did over the course of a few weeks, but how you did across the span of an entire year. That’s what really matters.
Presenting a Scenario
Scenario: Say that a student got Cs and Ds in their first semester of high school. Their goal is to do well enough in their second semester so that they are capable of achieving As and Bs for the full year. In what cases is this possible or impossible?
Short Answer: Yes, but also kind of no. It really depends on classes, teachers, weighting, and a multitude of other parameters. In some classes, it might be possible; while in others it might be guaranteed to be impossible.
General Answer: Yes, it is possible – however, it depends on several factors like how each semester is weighted, the amount of extra credit (if any is provided) available, and the degree of improvement the student can achieve. This assumes that the student is already academically ahead and capable of striving for high marks. For example, if the second semester has a heavier weighting than the first or if the student can take advantage of extra credit opportunities, then turning around a weak first semester to a year with As and Bs is likely possible.
On the other hand, if the grading system is mainly cumulative (meaning that there are equal weights and no extra credit offerings), and first-semester performances are just horrible, even an excelling second semester (even 99%) might not be enough to erase the damage done by the earlier-earned marks.
To better explain what I mean above, I’ll create an outlined table below consisting of different scenarios and situations:
Scenarios Broken Down
| Scenario | Conditions/Weighting | Performance/Improvement Required | Outcome | Explanation |
| 1. Equal Weighting, High Improvement | 50% first semester, 50% second semester | Near-perfect (mostly A-level) performance in the second semester | Possible | With each semester having equal weight, an excellent second semester (for example, raising scores to 90%-100%) can raise the average if the damage done in the first semester isn’t too bad. |
| 2. Heavier Second Semester Weighting | 40% first semester, 60% second semester (or even 30/70 in the favor of the second semester) | Consistently high performance in the second performance | Possible | A heavier weight on the second semester reduces the impact of lower first semester, making it easier to achieve a higher overall score with As and Bs. |
| 3. Remediation/Extra Credit | School policies allow remedial work, extra credit, or grade replacement for poor performance | Active participation in extra credit assignments | Possible | If the school (or your teacher) offer ways to boost your overall grade through additional work, the student’s strong performance in the second semester can compensate for any previous setbacks. |
| 4. Strict Cumulative Grading without Flexibility | 50% each semester, no additional grade improvement options | Even with a very strong second semester performance, a significant gap from the low first semester grades may persist | Possibly Not Possible | In a system that strictly averages both semesters, if the first semester scores are very low, there might be a limit on how much the second semester can improve the overall average |
| 5. External Factors Impacting Performance | Variability in factors such as attendance, personal challenges, or teacher grading standards over the year | Consistently overcoming challenges with strong second semester performances | Depends | External factors (health issues, personal problems) or fluctuations in grading criteria can affect the turnaround. Improvement is possible, but success isn’t guaranteed. |
Your Chance At Turning Everything Around
We’ve now seen, it’s actually a lot more possible than you probably thought. Why? Because it requires so much work. If you weren’t able to do well in your first semester, the reason people make it out to be impossible in the second semester is because it seems unrealistic, for you. If you couldn’t do well in your first semester, how do you ever plan on doing well in the second semester?
So, if you take that into context, as well as the realism of your teachers, the amount of work they post, and your confidence per class (all subtraction operations to the total), your chances are not very high. Even if those subtractions didn’t make much of a difference, your chances weren’t very high anyways.
Presenting a Scenario (2)
This time, we’ll present an aggressive scenario, and break down the math and logic behind what it’ll take to get a desired score in the second semester after doing poorly in the first semester.
Scenario: Say that a student achieved a 68% for their first semester, and wants to achieve a 90% overall. That’s a gap of 22%, or the difference between a D and a A. Put into those terms, that’s a seriously big difference. For the context of this scenario, there will be an arithmetic average (or just 50/50), but with the permittance of extra credit opportunities.
We’ll then define the following formula below for the weighted average:
Final Grade = (w1 * semester 1 grade) + (w2 * semester 2 grade)
–> where w1 and w2 are the weights for the first and second semester (with w1 + w2 = 1). We want:
w1 * 68 + w2 * S = 90
and to get ‘S’, or the required second semester grade.
S = (90 – (w1 * 68)) / w2
Now, let’s break all of this down inside of a table. This all takes place within the context of 1 class.
Scenario Broken Down (2)
| Weighting (Semester 1 / Semester 2) | Calculation | Required Semester 2 Grade (S) | Feasibility & Comments |
| 50/50 (0.5 / 0.5) | S = (90-(0.5*68)) / 0.5 = (90-34)/0.5 = 56/0.5 | 112% | Not feasible under normal conditions. Even a perfect score (100%) in the second semester would not be enough without extra credit or grade adjustments. |
| 40/60 (0.4 / 0.6) | S = (90-(0.4*68))/0.6 = (90-27.2)/0.6 = 62.0.6 | 104.67% | Nearly Impossible. The student would need to exceed a perfect score, meaning that extra credit or special grade curves are necessary. |
| 30/70 (0.3 / 0.7) | S = (90-(0.3*68))/0.7 = (90-20.4)/0.7 = 69.6/0.7 | 99.43% | Just barely possible. The student must score virtually perfectly in the second semester. Even 1, just 1 missed point is costly and jeopardizes the possibility of fulfilling the target. |
| 20/80 (0.2 / 0.8) | S = (90-(0.2*68)) / 0.8 = (90-13.6)/0.8 = 76.4/0.8 | 95.5% | Realistic, but still difficult. Given that the student in this case has such high standards for doing well, this is very much possible. |
| 10/90 (0.1 / 0.9) | S = (90-(0.1*68))/0.9 = (90-6.8)0.9 = 83.2/0.9 | 92.44% | Easiest to attain. With the first semester having only 10% weight, doing well in the second semester becomes practically easy for anyone. Highly unrealistic case-scenario however. |
What if numbers are reversed? (1st semester weighed more than 2nd)
In this case, the odds further stack on you. You would need lots, and lots of extra credit, curves, or other methods of gaining credit. In the perspective of practically anyone, giving up is a better options than continuing towards this goal that might not even be possible.
Fair Assumptions To Be Made
- The student must aim for exceptionally high performance in the second semester, close to and even potentially surpassing 100%
- Leverage any extra credit or grade improvement opportunities that might be available.
Assessing the Current Scenario
Based on the calculations made, if this exact student has a 68% for his first semester, and wants to get to 90%, and additionally has a 50/50 semester weighting, with the opportunity of earning extra credit (the same exact situation presented already), the student needs an overall final grade of 112%.
Therefore, without extra credit, this is impossible. Extra credit can bridge the gap between the required 112% and what the student can realistically achieve. The table below outlines various extra credit distributions and their effects on the student’s ability to reach the 90% target.
| Extra Credit Scenario | Description | Maximum Possible 2nd Semester Grade | Adjusted 2nd Semester Grade Needed | Outcome | Comments |
| 1. No extra credit | No additional points or opportunities to improve the grade beyond what it can be. | 100% | 112% | Not possible. | The maximum overall grade is 84%. |
| 2. Fixed Extra points | Up to +10% | 110% | 112% | Not possible. | Even with maximum extra credit, the student falls short by 2%. |
| 3. Limited Extra Credit | Up to +15% | 115% | 112% | Just barely possible. | Achieving 112% is feasible with sufficient extra credit. |
| 4. Unlimited Extra Credit | No limit on the potential number of extra credit points that can be gained (can exceed 100%) | 112%+ | 112% | Possible. | The student can attain the required 112% or more. |
| 5. Percentage-based Extra Credit | +20% | 120% | 112% | Possible. | Comfortable margin to 112%. |
| 6. Bonus Assignments | Complete bonus assignments to comfortably make up for the 12% | 112% | 112% | Possible. | Exactly meets the requirements. |
| 9. Partial Extra Credit | Up to +8% (most of the time) | 108% | 112% | Not possible. | Falls 4% short. |
How To Achieve The Target
Given how difficult the target is, as well as the rocky terrain you would be standing under in this context, your best bets, summarized, are:
- Maximize available extra credit
- Consistently excel in the second semester
- Manage time effectively
- Take advantage of remedial assignments
- Engage in Bonus Projects
- If you care all that much, and getting that A means all that much more to you, you shouldn’t let the comments or opinions of others get in your way. Write emails, out-perform your teacher’s expectations, and give them a reason to give you more opportunities despite not having taken advantage of them the few months prior.
Keep in mind that some schools are different, and not all teachers have the same weighting. By this I mean that some teachers weigh quizzes a lot more than regular or even big assignments, despite being short and usually easy to study for; therefore meaning that if they assign more quizzes in the second semester compared to the first semester, you have an increased opportunity at gaining back some lost credit.
Additionally, you have to play the game a step ahead. You have to study for hours on end, complete work thoroughly, ask for help from your peers, stay after-school if it helps (this also shows how much you care, and what you’re willing to do to improve which can earn you the necessary extra credit to get the marks you’re looking for). You might also have to sit down and predict the next assignment, read ahead, watch youtube videos once, twice, or three times until all you can think about is XYZ concept. This will prepare you for anything.
Final Conclusion
For a student with a 68% in their first semester aiming for a 90% overall in a class with a 50/50 weighting, extra credit is nothing short of necessary. While standard grading without extra credit makes the target impossible, various extra credit distributions-ranging from fixed point additions to unlimited percentage-based boosts- can make the goal very much possible. Of course, this all depends on your school and teacher in some cases. So, the student in this scenario must do their best to seek out and maximize whatever opportunity they see or predict.
So, What Can YOU Do?
Well, you heard it. To do well and excel to the level that you wish to excel, you need to set expectations so high that not even you are sure that you can live up to them. It’s your only option if you want to get to the academic spot you wish to be in.
A Word of Advice
For some classes, this will not be possible, even if they offer extra credit. Some teachers just aren’t lenient to that extent, and sometimes, they don’t want to see you do well. Some teachers prefer seeing their students struggle at learning something, rather than grasping it immediately. There’s nothing, almost nothing you can do to counteract this negative. Even if you get on their good side, and search for opportunities, they will always be aware of your intention – reaching that mark. In some cases, they will make this clear to you (or not), and will stop you either way.
Therefore, I advise you to proceed with caution. Some teachers have seen your poor scores, your poor marks, and already know what kind of student you are. Even if you show signs of improvement and hope, they will deny any possibility for you to improve your current position. With those teachers I suggest that you don’t waste your time. A decent score in those classes is better than an awful score, or even the score you wanted (or a score close to that standard), because it required too much mental and literal sacrifice to get there.
After all, you’re just in high school, there’s no reason for you to be taking casual assignments and lectures this seriously. You have a life, so live it comfortably knowing that no matter what your teachers think, you are free to be you.
I still remember my freshman year when my Geometry teacher would provide us small extra credit opportunities at the very end of every test packet, and give us the chance to gain extra credit. I ended with a 101% for the full year, though some of my classmates got 105%, 106%, and even 109% just from those small extra credit opportunities.
Conclusion
Don’t walk into this expecting it to be easy, or even hard, because it will be almost impossible. A poor semester is enough damage to hurt you for months to come, but not for the full year – in most cases. Apply the tips provided in this post, and the math formulas used (in case you’re interested in finding out on your own), and you can reach the goal you wish to achieve).
