Resits - your step by step plan to pass

Getting the news that you have not passed a course and face the prospect of a re-sit can be a terrible shock. Your hopes and dreams feel more distant, perhaps out of reach. Your planned career trajectory seems off course. But to linger on these thoughts and feelings would be a mistake. What you need to do is re-group, review, and get ready to make a plan for making it next time. 

You will have had a few weeks to get over the shock of getting disappointing results, so now is a good time to begin the planning for your next sitting. 

1. Don't feel ashamed or angry with yourself. Forgive yourself. Not passing an assessment doesn't make you a failure. It just means you didn't get there this time. You can and will make it through next round if you are prepared to put these results behind you and take active steps to pass next time. 

2. If you missed out by a narrow margin, don't beat yourself up about the "missed marks". You can choose to feel bad about missing out, which will achieve nothing (nobody can add the marks to your score, so this is nothing but wasted mental energy). The other choice is to see the positive side of the situation. You have very little ground to make up next time; it shows you how possible your future success is!

3. If you need help and support, ask for it. Whether that means advice from either a tutor or a fellow student, ask away. The BPTC is tough and many students don't pass first time. There is no shame in not making it through. If you need a friendly ear, lean on your friends and family, as you may need help to deal with the emotional impact of disappointing results. If you think you need tutoring or to start working with other people in the same situation as you, don't be shy. Don't leave it late to seek support or assistance; you diminish your chances. Work out when your next attempts are and start now. 

4. If you failed a skill, think about what feedback you have been given both on the assessment in question and on the course. Do the same things come up from time to time? How can you address these persistent issues? Work on understanding what you need to put right next time. If you need to go back to the manuals, do that straight away. There's no harm in re-acquainting yourself. You may also find that your experience gives you a fresh perspective to your re-reading.

5. Be honest about the level of preparation you put into the assessment you failed. Was your revision too shallow? Too rushed? Limited to reading and re-reading? Did you leave yourself enough time? Was your time management a problem? Please note - I am not asking you to be hard on yourself or to find reasons to be angry with yourself. I am asking that you carry out genuine reflection of your preparation and revision - the time spent, the effectiveness, the level of knowledge and understanding you attained. Self-knowledge and self-assessment is going to be extremely valuable in helping you identify what needs to change for the next attempt.

6. Be honest about the effectiveness of your revision methods. I have written a lot about different revision and note taking techniques on my blog, but here is the post which discusses revision skills in the greatest detail: http://snigsclassroom.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/revising-how-to-get-more-bang-for-your.html

7. Get the up to date syllabus for any knowledge subject you have to re-sit. Make sure you know what is expected, and begin the process of checking you have notes on everything. Do not rely on the textbook or lecture notes alone; always be guided by the syllabus document. Begin by ensuring you understand a topic before beginning the task of trying to remember. 

8. Remember that resits should not be a repeat of what has been. As a result of the self reflection I recommend above you should know what your new priorities need to be. Do not fall back into your old habits if you know they have let you down. Be brave enough to try new methods and form new habits. Revision and frequent self testing during the revision period (not just at the end) is proven to be more effective.

9. Remember that you are not your results. You are much more than a "grade". You are a whole person, with so many other skills and attributes. You are valued and valuable, by your friends, family, fellow students and tutors.

If I can share a old picture from my instagram feed, failing an exam is like a bad hair day; you can do much better tomorrow. 

Good luck with your resit preparations!