Take deep breaths and focus on pleasant thoughts. Take your mind off of your grade for an hour by doing something that makes you happy, like reading a book or playing a game. Catch your negative self-talk. Instead of blaming yourself or thinking negative thoughts about yourself, try to think about yourself the way you’d talk to a friend who got a bad grade. [2] X Expert Source Hilya Tehrani, PsyDLicensed Clinical Psychologist Expert Interview. 27 August 2021.

Plan a meeting with your teacher, or talk to your teacher about the bad grade beforehand. Prepare a study plan. Don’t hide or throw away the grade. It may be tempting to hide, “forget” about, or throw away your grade. Do not do this. Chances are, the bad grade will come to light eventually. The bad grade may need to be signed, or it will reflect in a poor grade on a report card. [4] X Research source It is always better to go the honest route. The consequences and reaction will be worse if you delay the news.

Don’t talk to them as soon as they come home from work. Allow them some time to unwind before you start a serious conversation with them. Schedule a time with your parents if you are not sure when to talk to them.

Never resort to inappropriate name-calling or cursing. Do not raise your voice. Keep your voice calm and steady.

Approach your parents confidently and seriously. Don’t act silly or upset. Your parents will be more likely to react positively if you display the right behavior.

There is a difference between excuses and legitimate reasons for a bad grade. Differentiate the two. An excuse is, “My teacher made the test too hard. ” A reason is “I didn’t understand the material. ”

Something you could say is “I had a hard time understanding the material,” or “I didn’t study for the test, which led to me doing poorly on it. ” Be honest with yourself about why you made a bad grade. Don’t convince that it wasn’t your fault if it was. If accurate, tell them about how you know you should have studied more. That will show them that you’ve learned from your mistake.

Tell your parents that you will make effort to do things like set up a meeting with your teacher, turn off your phone and television while studying, and study for at least an hour a night. Physical proof or a well thought out plan will be more convincing than comments thought up during the conversation.

Something you could say is “I may have done poorly on this test, but this is a rare occurrence for me. I will make an effort to do better next time. ” If bad grades are a recurring problem you could say, “I haven’t been doing well in school lately, but I am going to do my best to change that. ” Remind them (and yourself) of all the opportunities you still have![13] X Expert Source Hilya Tehrani, PsyDLicensed Clinical Psychologist Expert Interview. 27 August 2021.

Do not talk back if they are lecturing you. Being rude and disrespectful will show that you do not take the situation or your parents seriously. Your parents might be angry or frustrated, and that is normal. Being mentally or physically abused is not normal. Talk to your teacher or proper authorities if you think you are being abused.

Don’t act out against what your parents decide. Don’t sneak out if they ground you, or don’t watch television if you are banned from it.

Keeping your parents updated will motivate you to do better, and show your parents that you care about your grades.

Keeping your parents involved will likely make them more understanding if you get any more bad grades in the future.

Something you could say is, “There is an ongoing distraction at school (or home), that prevents me from concentrating on my studies. ” Tell your teacher if there is an ongoing distraction or bully in your class.

Copying a classmate’s homework instead of doing your own work. Not asking questions when you don’t understand the material. Cheating on quizzes and exams. Forgetting the due dates of essays, projects, quizzes, tests, etc. Keep a calendar for the due dates of your schoolwork. Failing to take notes during class. Taking notes during class will help you avoid zoning out and not paying attention.