We’re officially several weeks into school and I’m sure that many of you are experiencing the same thing: that sense of settling into a routine. If anyone is like me, it takes a couple weeks in a class before you start to pick up on the best ways to work the class.

You’re starting to understand what the professor expects and how the homework should be done, how to study for the class and what to expect on the exams. You’ve probably had a few exams and big papers due in most of your classes as well. Some probably went well and some maybe not so well.

Many of us who have a few years of college experience under our belts have probably all had to face our professors at one point about our grades. Maybe you bombed a few assignments or your first test and you’re worried about where your grade sits. If this is your first time at BC, you may not have had the chance to speak to your professors face-to-face. For a few of you, this may seem incredibly intimidating. That is completely understandable. For whatever reason, you may not be doing as well in a class as you know you should, we all have that same fear of talking to a professor about it. The fear that when we bring it up to them, their only response will be a bored look and a short, “well there’s nothing I can do.” Unfortunately, there are a few professors out there who will do this, but in my experience if you know you have tried to do well in the class, many professors will be understanding and willing to work with you.

Last semester I had a few setbacks. In one of my classes, my professor was a pretty strict, always had to be on time, absolutely no talking in class and he would call you out if you were falling asleep or using your phone, type of guy. In this class we had an eight-page research paper due as a large part of our grade. Also during this time, my sister was getting married and the wedding was the same weekend before my paper was due on Monday. Now, anyone who has ever had to put a wedding together knows that it is a long, expensive and stressful event. My research paper might as well have been galaxies away. That Monday in class, it wasn’t until he started collecting the papers that the sudden realization and panic hit me.

When he finished collecting them and started the video we were watching in class, he offered to anyone who had not turned in their paper the opportunity to explain. I raised my hand and he called me over. I explained to him the craziness of my past weekend and my deep regret in forgetting the assignment. I explained that I had the research done; I had just forgotten to write the actual essay. Luckily for me, he said if I could have the paper emailed to him by the end of the night, he’d still give me credit. At one point, everyone will need to have that talk with a professor about messing up on their grade. Hopefully if it happens to you, you’ll have a professor who understands.

If you have questions on balancing your busy schedule, send your questions to Veronica at [email protected]