As uni exams wind down for the semester, and uni results approach, you might be concerned about failing a unit. Or more than one unit, as the situation may be.

REALISTICALLY, WHAT WILL HAPPEN?

As you might imagine, failing a unit isn’t all sunshine, lollipops and rainbows. We’re not here to say, “don’t worry about it – failing a unit will have absolutely no impact on your university life!” So, with that in mind, here are some things that might happen.

If compulsory, you might have to re-do the unit.

As you know, some units at uni are compulsory in order to qualify for your degree. These units are deemed most important – perhaps because they contain very important information, perhaps because successful completion of the unit demonstrates required skills and understanding. For this reason, to qualify for your degree, you need to successfully get through these units.

So, if you don’t pass the first time, the situation might necessitate that you need to try again. Although obviously not an ideal result, this isn’t the end of the world – you can build on what you’ve already learnt to ensure that you pass the second time around. However, there can be some complications:

If that unit is a pre-req, you might have to re-arrange your degree.

Let’s say the unit you fail is a first-year unit, and successful completion of that unit is required in order to enrol in relevant second year units. For example, you might need to pass an introductory first-year Psychology unit in order to enrol in more advanced Psychology units later in your degree. If this is the case, you may need to change your course structure, and if this is applicable to you, it’s best to speak directly to your faculty about your game plan and strategy.

Essentially, you may be precluded from studying certain units at certain times – and if those units are only available in, say, the first semester of the year, this can be pretty annoying. In some situations, you can get around this by studying a summer or winter unit, but keep in mind that the relevant units may not be available for study at these times.

If it’s not compulsory, you have more options.

If the uni isn’t compulsory, then sweet – you don’t need to re-do that unit at all. Of course, you still need to replace that unit somehow, and this will most likely be done by choosing an equivalent unit you’re interested in. If this is the case, you can get back on track by picking up that unit at another time (summer or winter, as above, or by overloading in a semester). Otherwise, not that much changes, but you may have to add an extra semester to your degree.

You’ll still have to pay for the unit.

As you still had access to all of the class materials etc. for the unit, you’ll still have to pay – even though you didn’t pass.

And your GPA might take a hit.

Depending on your institution, your GPA (Grade Point Average) will likely be negatively impacted. This is to be expected; in the same way a High Distinction mark reflects well on your GPA, a Fail naturally doesn’t go so well.

OKAY, BUT LONGER TERM, THEN WHAT?

How about longer term implications of failing a unit? Is there anything to be worried about?

If it keeps happening…

… then you might be asked to appear before a tribunal or board. For the most part, this probably sounds worse than it is – anecdotally, such meetings tend to just check in with you to see if everything is okay, and if your current university arrangement is the most suitable one for you.

And what if it comes up in a job interview?

Let’s say, theoretically, you’re going for a job you really want, and the interviewer goes, “so… I see you failed a first-year unit – what’s that all about?” What do you do – panic? Nah. You spin it positively if at all possible.

If you eventually re-took the unit and then passed, great! That demonstrates you have persistence and can learn from your mistakes, making relevant changes to your work schedule or techniques in order to improve.

If you eventually took another unit and overloaded to graduate “on time”, awesome! That demonstrates dedication and perseverance, and an ability to work hard to get good outcomes even through adversity.

And if you extended your degree as a result, cool! That demonstrates you have the ability to self-reflect and see when things aren’t working for you, and that you can then make the relevant changes to ensure it doesn’t happen again.

MOVING FORWARD FROM HERE

So with all that in mind, what should you be doing from now?

Until results come out, chill.

There are countless examples of people thinking they did really poorly on units, but then actually passing – or even better! Realistically, it’s often pretty difficult to objectively assess how you’ve performed in exams, and you never really know what’s going on behind the scenes. As difficult as it can be, until results are actually published, try not to worry too much about it all. Go for a walk, enjoy the sunshine, and rest up!

If you did fail, learn from it.

Think about what you did well and what you didn’t do well throughout the semester. Did you not attend many classes? Did you leave studying too late? Or, perhaps, did you not study at all effectively? This sort of self-awareness and understanding can go a long way in ensuring you never fail a unit again. Even if you didn’t fail, this type of reflection can help to improve your marks in future semesters.

Speak to your faculty.

Specific faculties very often have student support services, and if you’re concerned about your workload or any other element of uni life, it’s a good idea to go and speak to them. Uni isn’t always easy, and it doesn’t need to be linear, either – you can make different arrangements in order to reach the same eventual outcome.

All the very best!