Here’s why you should talk to your professor about failing
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Hi there. I am the prolific professor with 15 years of experience teaching online and in-person. I have a graduate degree. I have a passion for education. But I’ve also worked in the professional world (outside of education) too. Thanks for visiting.
A step-by-step guide : What to say to your professor if you’re failing
You’re looking at your grades and realizing that you aren’t going to pass. Or it’s very unlikely. Maybe you have tried your best and just didn’t do as well as you’d thought.
Or maybe you know you didn’t put in enough work, and you know you don’t deserve to pass.
Either way, you know it might help to talk to your professor.
I was there once. I failed every single one of my classes during my first semester at college.
I didn’t attend. I didn’t submit the work. And then I tried to get my professors to help me pass but every single one gave me the “F” I deserved. And while it may sound shocking to you, I am happy that they didn’t pass me. I had to retake the courses and learned the material I missed. I ended up learning the hard way from my mistakes.
I am going to explain why you should talk to your professor about your grades, how to talk to them, and what to do next.
Because if you continue to do bad in your courses, you could risk academic suspension.
I’ll also share with you something that you probably haven’t even thought of yet that could really help you out.
Should you talk to your professors about failing?
Every college student, who is failing their class, should to talk to their professor about their grade because their professor may be able to offer additional assistance to help them pass the course.
Even if you didn’t put in the effort, or you tried your best, you should talk to your professor.
Check their syllabus, find their office hours, and visit with them.
Schedule an appointment or send an email. Whichever they find most convenient.
PRO TIP : I recommend talking to them in person because it seems more sincere, but sometimes an email can be most convenient for everyone involved.
So, bottom-line, talk to your professor, even if you are going to fail the class.
Why you should talk to your professor about failing?
Students should talk to their professor about failing because their professor will help them learn their options, students will show them they care about their education and they can get important feedback about their academic performance for improvement.
Here are my TOP 3 reasons why you should talk to your professor
1.) Learn your options
2.) Let them know you care
3.) Get feedback
The reason why I believe you should talk to your professor is because they can help you understand what your options are.
For example, I had a student come by, and tell me that they were failing and had no hope to pass my class anymore. I went over their grades, showed them what they need to do to make a “C” in my course, and they stayed enrolled and passed after all.
Your professor will be able to explain that to you so don’t try to figure it out entirely on your own. They have likely taught enough to know what is possible from their students, so check with them first. But this usually depends on your academic capabilities. Sometimes it just isn’t feasible.
Another reason why you should talk to your professor is so that they can understand more about your situation and why you didn’t do so well, and that you do genuinely care about their class.
You might need to take their courses again.
And if you need to re-take the class, you might have no other option but to take it with the same professor. At least they know that you are concerned about your grade, and can understand more about your personal circumstances to help you as much as possible
For those reasons, I think it’s best to talk to your professor. You never know when their advice could point you in the right direction.
What you should consider before talking to your professor about failing
1.) Figure out why you’re failing
Look through your grades, assignment feedback, and the syllabus to see why you aren’t doing well.
Is it primarily because of one assignment is weighed more heavily than others?
Are you not submitting your work and have lots of missing assignments?
Are you not understanding the material or instructions?
2.) Understand the grading scale
Take a good look at the grading scale and see how your grade is being calculated. You might currently be failing, but does your professor drop the lowest exam grade?
Maybe you have a research paper due later that is worth half your grade. This could really boost your grade to passing, depending on your other grades. Sometimes grades are weighted differently, and this can heavily impact your final grade.
Check that out first to make sure you’re calculating everything right to see where you really stand.
Figure out what you would need to do to pass the class with a sufficient grade. Is it possible, mathematically, with the remaining assignments?
You’ll want to know where you stand moving forward and if the class is a lost cause.
At least you’ll be prepared for the next steps.
3.) Review the withdrawal date
Have you missed the withdrawal date for your college?
A withdrawal date may help save you from getting a “F” on your transcript. Now this may have some financial aid ramifications, so make sure you understand these policies. And check with your institution to see if this is a possibility.
If you have been struggling with some physical illness or hospitalization, consider talking to them even if the withdrawal date has passed. Perhaps there is a solution you aren’t aware of. But realize that would need documentation.
4.) Check the syllabus
Are there any extra credit opportunities?
Any way you can makeup assignments?
5.) Talk before the end of the term
Don’t wait until after the term ends. If there is any chance your professor is going to allow late assignments, makeup assignments or extra credit, they can’t do this for you if you ask AFTER grades have been submitted.
So, give your professor plenty of time before the end of the semester. You should be doing this mid-semester or earlier. If you wait until after the term ends and grades were already submitted, it’s typically a done deal. Sure, you could appeal your grade, but that’s time consuming and difficult.
Your professor could submit a grade change, but that’s also unlikely to happen.
So go ahead and talk to your professor as early as possible.
Your professor is going to be slammed with work at the end of the term and be approached by dozens of students that are scrambling to find solutions to their bad grades too, so don’t be that person.
There is very little that can be done at the end of the semester.
6.) Find out what their incomplete policy is
Your college might offer something called an incomplete. If you are missing assignments, and this is due to some hardship, then it may be possible to get an incomplete for the class. This way you could finish your assignments after the term ends.
PRO TIP : If you are eligible to receive an incomplete, you will have to sign an agreement that’s between you and your professor, and you must MEET some strict requirements first.
It’s worth inquiring about. But don’t expect it. Very few students will qualify. But I have done this for a few students over the years.
What to say to your professor when you’re failing a class
If you are failing a college class, you should tell your professor that you are responsible for the grades that you have earned so far but would like the opportunity to improve with their assistance and expertise.
This depends on your circumstances because you may have only failed one assignment, or you might be failing the entire course.
PRO TIP : I always advise students to avoid asking for preferential treatment or extra credit. If your professor thinks your situation warrants these opportunities, they’ll offer them to you first.
You can either email your professor or visit in person. I find an in-person visit can be more meaningful.
Make sure you complete all the other steps above to be prepared for this visit.
Go in with specific questions. Ask them how you can improve and what is the likelihood that you can even pass this course.
Make sure you ask them for their realistic expectations.
Be honest about your circumstances, and make sure you don’t try to make excuses about your failing grades unless there has been some awful tragedy that really did impact your grades.
Otherwise, be honest with yourself and your professor about why you aren’t doing as well.
Talk about your concerns.
And follow-up with questions about the future.
If you are staying in their course, then ask how you can improve.
And if you are going to drop the course, find out what the next step is.
Will you need to take the course again with the same professor? Or can you take another course to satisfy this requirement.
I know that I have students who took my course online, but failed because they didn’t have the time management skills to study independently. I recommended they take the course again, but this time in-person. They ended up doing well.
How can your professor help you with a failing grade?
A professor can help students that are failing their class by offering extra credit, providing tips for success, giving them additional tutoring or referring them to college services.
1.) Accommodations
Let’s say you have some documented medical issue; your professor might be able to refer you to the college’s disability services for accommodations. These could help you tremendously if you aren’t doing well in your courses because of your disabilities. You might get some accommodations for the remainder of the class to help you do better in your courses.
This entirely depends on your circumstances, but I know some students who did not know about these services and accommodations and their disability was impacting their grades.
So, it’s something to consider, if this applies to you,
2.) Extra Credit
Maybe they comfort you and tell you that they plan to offer extra credit later this term. But remember, don’t ask them for extra credit. Let them provide you with that opportunity, if they’re going to.
3.) Be honest
Your professor can also review your grades and determine if there is a chance you could do well in the course. They’ll hopefully tell you if it’s even possible to pass the course, or if you should plan on re-taking it later.
4.) Provide tips
If you are failing one assignment, your professor can offer you some study tips and strategies, give you detailed feedback about your assignment or discuss ways to improve.
5.) Refer to services
They may refer you to tutoring or the college’s counseling services.
Some colleges have loads of resources to help students, and you just may not be aware of them.
If your professor knows you need additional help, they can refer you to these services quickly.
You’ll have a chance to show your professor that you’re serious about their course. And if they were ever going to give you extra assistance, this is the way to get it.
You can see that speaking with your professor is the best route.
It may seem intimidating to talk to your professor but know that they are there to help. If you need help learning how to get over your fear and talk to your professor, you should read this article next. It’s sure to make this process easier.
Your professor will be impressed that you asked for help too.
Key takeaways
Your professor is there to help you. I always recommend speaking with them about your failing grades.
Make sure you do this as soon as you start to recognize you’re not doing as expected in the course.
Avoid asking for extra credit or preferential treatment because that’s unfair to all the other students who are working hard or who won’t get the same opportunities.
And remember, there are resources to support you and most colleges have plenty of student services to help you be successful.
Don’t pass those up. You’re paying for them within the tuition and fees you give the college each semester. So use them.
And remember, you got this.
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