November 9, 2007, Newsletter Issue #87: When The Bar Is Too High

Tip of the Week

In junior high or high school, there was always a parent who blamed the teachers for everything. It didn’t matter that little Johnny missed a lot of class, didn’t pay attention, and had a bad attitude. It was the teacher’s fault.

As an adult-learner working toward a business degree or diploma, you see things differently. You know that you’re responsible for completing the work, studying diligently, and being organized and efficient. So what happens when all of those things are in place, and you still fail miserably on a test or exam? Is it the teacher’s fault? Sometimes, it is.

One way to assess the situation is to look at the overall class average. If everyone has been working along nicely and then all of a sudden the entire class (or most of the class) fails or comes up with a low grade, it might be the teacher. Perhaps the expectations or course outcomes weren’t clearly explained, or perhaps the instructor’s expectations were too high, or not clearly articulated. If you feel this is the situation, consider speaking with the instructor to find out how you could have done better.


Talk to the other students to determine if a key concept wasn’t understood or taught adequately before the exam. Through open discussion, you may be pleasantly surprised to uncover a solution. If all else fails, you may need to speak with the registrar or course advisor about an appeal.

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