# Recover after a bad grade or failing class

A calm look at your options after a bad grade, with a recovery plan and the right people to talk to at school.

- Topic: Thinking & Decisions
- Framework: Few-Shot
- Level: Advanced
- Tags: Education, Finance, Fill-in Template
- Source: https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/prompts/recover-after-a-bad-grade-or-failing-class

## Prompt

```text
Help me figure out what to do after a bad grade or a class I might fail.

**Course and situation:** [e.g. "failed the midterm in Calc I, currently a D"]
**Grade breakdown and what's left:** [assignments, exams, weights, current scores]
**Key dates:** [last day to withdraw, pass/fail deadline, final exam]
**What contributed:** [e.g. missed classes, didn't understand material, work hours, personal issues]
**What's at stake:** [GPA requirement, scholarship, financial aid, major admission, athletic eligibility]
**How I'm feeling:** [optional]

Do this:
1. Calculate what I need on the remaining work to reach a passing grade and my target grade, using the weights I gave. Show the math.
2. Lay out my options with pros and cons: stay and push, switch to pass/fail, withdraw, take an incomplete, retake later (grade replacement policies vary). Mark policy details as [CHECK YOUR SCHOOL'S POLICY].
3. Note how each option could affect financial aid, scholarships, or progress requirements, and tell me to confirm with the financial aid office before deciding.
4. If I'm staying, build a recovery plan: tutoring center, office hours, study group, schedule changes.
5. Draft a short email asking my instructor or advisor for a meeting.

Return the grade math, options table (Option | Pros | Cons | Deadline | Who to ask), recovery plan, and email.

Be encouraging; one grade doesn't define me. If personal circumstances caused this, suggest I ask the dean of students about support. If I say I'm feeling hopeless or overwhelmed for more than a few days, encourage me to visit the campus counseling center; if I mention thoughts of harming myself, tell me to call or text 988 (US) or local emergency services right away.
```

## What to fill in

- e.g. "failed the midterm in Calc I, currently a D"
- assignments, exams, weights, current scores
- last day to withdraw, pass/fail deadline, final exam
- optional
- CHECK YOUR SCHOOL'S POLICY

Free to copy and use. From ThinkWithPrompt (https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/), a library of 2,663 curated AI prompts.