Having a Productive Meeting with Your Professor or Advisor

If you are going to get back on track in your classes, it is important that you get specific answers from your professor or advisor. Bring a notebook to write down your answers.

Can I pass the class? Many students assume that if they simply start attending class and handing things in they will pull their grade out of the fire, but this isn’t always the case. Ask your professor to help you work out whether it is mathematically possible to earn enough points to pass the class. If you learn that you can pass the class only if you earn 100 percent on all the rest of the assignments or tests, you are unlikely to pass.

What exactly do I need to do? Find out from your professor what exactly you are missing. Don’t assume you know and don’t assume you can make up everything. It is possible that some of the assignments you didn’t do will no longer be relevant. If you missed group presentations or class activities, you may not be able to make them up.

Can I complete it in time? Making up extra work is extremely time-consuming. Can you complete what you missed and keep up with all your other classes? Will you be able to turn in quality work with such a schedule? If you can’t pass the class, drop it or withdraw from it as soon as possible, but consider the following: Will dropping the class cause you to have fewer credits than you need to maintain your financial Aid? If so, can you can add a half-semester, 2 credit course?