Falling Behind in College? Here's How to Catch Up

Tips to help you catch up in college if you are falling behind

Falling behind in college is something no student wants to happen. Unfortunately, some students end up in this situation, and they have to find a way to dig themselves out of it. If you are a mom, it’s really important to know how to catch up in college when you fall behind because you might find yourself in this situation more than once.

Falling behind in college is not the end of the world and shouldn’t be the end of your college dream. But, you have to put in the time and effort to get back on track. As long as you are willing to do that, you should be able to continue with college.

So, here’s how to catch up in school if you have fallen behind.

Please note: While this post applies to all college students, it’s aimed at moms in college because they often find themselves in this situation.

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1. FALLING BEHIND IN COLLEGE: IDENTIFY THE REASONS YOU FELL BEHIND

Before you can catch up in college, you must first identify the reasons why you are behind. Falling behind in college doesn’t happen in a vacuum. There must be a set of circumstances that led to it.

To ensure this doesn’t happen again, you have to identify the cause, then come up with a plan to fix it. Here are some of the most common reasons why college students (especially moms) fall behind in school.

Not enough time to study or complete assignments
Juggling too many responsibilities (for example, work, family, school)
Procrastinating as a result of not having a fixed schedule
Not understanding the class material and not asking for help
Skipping classes
Lack of motivation
Exhausted or overwhelmed because of a heavy courseload

As you can see, there are lots of reasons why a student can fall behind in college. Identifying the reason or reasons for your problem is the first step to finding a solution. So, if you are trying to figure out how to catch up in college, the best place to start is to identify why you fell behind in the first place.

2. DETERMINE HOW FAR BEHIND YOU ARE

After you finish identifying why you are behind, the next step is to determine how far behind you are. The reason this is important is that sometimes things are not as bad as they appear to be.

When you actually take the time to determine how far behind you are in school, then you can decide on the best course of action. So, for each class or course you are taking, make a note of how far behind you are.

For example, Psychology 101: have five chapters to read, two assignments to complete, one paper to write, and bring my grade up from 68.5% to 80% to pass the class. Do this for every single class you are taking.

Once you have a clear idea of how far you have fallen, you are now ready to brainstorm some solutions.

3. BRAINSTORM SOME SOLUTIONS

It’s easy to get depressed when you fall behind in school (especially when it keeps happening). However, if you are thinking “I keep falling behind in college,” yet never take the time to address why this keeps happening, you are going to remain stuck. So, now is the time to do something about it.

Start by grabbing a piece of paper and a pen. Next, spend at least twenty minutes brainstorming some solutions to the problem or problems you identified above.

A word of advice. When brainstorming solutions, make sure they are realistic and they are things you can actually do.

For example, if one of the reasons you keep falling behind in your classes is lack of time, a realistic solution would be to create a schedule, reduce your workload, or get some help with some of your responsibilities (like housework).

For each problem, try to come up with at least two or three solutions, then choose the best and most realistic option. Alternatively, you can try all the different options until you find the best fit.

Your problem isn’t going to resolve itself unless you take active steps to resolve them. So, go ahead and start brainstorming solutions.

3. HOW TO CATCH UP ON SCHOOL WORK WHEN YOU ARE BEHIND

So, you want to know how to catch up on school work when you are behind. Below are some realistic things you can do to get yourself back on track.

1. ASK FOR AN EXTENSION ON A FEW ASSIGNMENTS OR PAPERS

If you are really far behind in class or online school work, the first thing you should consider doing is to ask your teachers for an extension on a few assignments or papers. But, understand some of them might be unwilling to grant you an extension, so be prepared for that.

Before contacting your professors, make sure you can provide a credible reason why you are behind, what you are doing to address the problem, and how much time you think you need. However, it’s up to them to decide how much extra time to give you.

Try to make a strong case for yourself, and if you are lucky, one or two of them will say yes (especially if you have a valid reason).

2. WHAT TO DO WHEN FALLING BEHIND IN COLLEGE: PUT IN EXTRA HOURS

I will be honest with you. When you are behind in college, the only way to catch up is to put in the time and effort. That means you have to be prepared to put in a lot of extra hours to get yourself back on track.

How much extra time you need to put in depends on how far behind you are, that’s why I told you earlier to determine how far behind you are. So, clear out your schedule and prioritize your schoolwork for the next few weeks (or however long it takes).

If you are wondering where to find the extra hours in your busy schedule, the answer is, you will have to find it somehow even if it means ignoring some other things, cutting your hours at work, or paying for a babysitter or other help (so you can focus on your studies).

For some of you, it means cutting down on your sleep time, staying up way past your usual bedtime to study or complete an assignment, or devoting every free moment you have in your day to your schoolwork.

If your education is important to you and you don’t want to fail out of college, then you are going to have to do what you need to do.

It’s going to be tough and stressful, but it has to be done, if you want to catch up on your schoolwork.

3. DROP OR WITHDRAW FROM A CLASS

If you are seriously overwhelmed, then consider dropping a class or two if you can do so without incurring some penalty (financial or otherwise).

Sometimes students sign up for more classes than they can handle. When this happens, they find themselves falling behind in a class or two. Unfortunately, you have no way of predicting how your life will unfold during a semester, so it’s always better to err on the side of caution (meaning don’t take too many classes at once).

There are moms who went from taking one or two classes per semester to taking four classes because they are in a hurry to complete college. Unfortunately for these moms, the workload is too much to handle along with work and parenting.

This is why some end up falling behind and dropping a few classes midway through the semester. If you are in a pretty bad or desperate situation, this might be the best or only option open to you, so think about it and see if it is feasible.

Don’t forget to consider how dropping a class would affect your GPA especially if you are under academic probation or you need to maintain a certain GPA to be eligible for financial aid.

Dropping a class is a tough decision to make, so think about it carefully before you make a move.

4. BEHIND IN SCHOOL HOW TO CATCH UP: ASK FOR HELP

For many students, falling behind in college classes is one of the most embarrassing things ever, so instead of asking for help, these students stay quiet because they are too ashamed of their situation.

While it’s better to ask for help before you find yourself in a hole, it’s okay to ask for some help to get out of your current predicament. Like I said at the beginning, the reason you fell behind in class will determine the kind of help you need and how much help is required.

For example, if you are behind because you can’t understand a particular class, what you need is extra tutoring and resources to help you understand the material better.

You are in the best position to know what kind of help you need based on your current circumstances. So, seek whatever help you need as soon as possible and don’t put this off any longer. Because the longer you ignore a problem, the worse it becomes.

Okay, I have given you four realistic tips you can use to catch up in college, now let’s look at how you can stop yourself from falling behind going forward.

HOW TO STOP FALLING BEHIND IN COLLEGE

If you keep falling behind in college, then the tips below will help you catch up, and prevent you from falling behind again.

1. CREATE A STUDY SCHEDULE AND MAKE A HABIT OF STUDYING EVERY DAY

A study schedule or routine is a great way to stay on top of your schoolwork. Having a regular schedule or study routine can help prevent you from falling behind in school.

Here’s how to create a study schedule you can follow:

Work out how much time you can devote to studying each day
Figure out when you are most productive during the day
Schedule your study time when you are most productive (you can use a planner to schedule your study times)
Break up your study time, if you struggle to stay focused for long periods of time
Set a goal for each study period (for example, complete a specific assignment, study for a specific test, or write a paper)

As you can see, creating a study schedule is not that hard. All you have to do is organize your day and time, and carve out specific times throughout the day when you are most productive.

Making it a habit to study every day is one of the most effective ways to keep from falling behind. So, try to develop this habit and see if it doesn’t make a difference in your life.

2. REDUCE YOUR WORKLOAD AND OTHER COMMITMENTS

Since one of the reasons many students fall behind in college is their workload, it makes sense to reduce how many classes you take each semester. It’s also wise to cut down on the number of activities you are involved in.

Reducing your workload and other commitments is a great way to stay on track in college. If possible, consider cutting down your work hours, extracurricular activities, and other distractions.

If you are a mom in college, you can cut down on the number of activities you and your kids are involved in.

Kids don’t need to sign up for every single activity on offer. As a mom, I understand you don’t want your kids to miss out on anything, but you have to be smart and make decisions that will benefit you and your family in the long-term.

So, take a look at everything you are involved in, and make a list of some activities you can cut off or cut down on. The key is to streamline your activities and prioritize your studies.

3. FALLING BEHIND IN ONLINE COLLEGE: CHANGE THE WAY YOU LEARN

Okay, let me start by saying that I recognize that for a lot of students (especially working moms), online college is their only option for earning a degree. Unfortunately, a lot of students struggle with online college especially if they have teachers that are very hands-off.

Many online college students find themselves having to teach themselves and they struggle to understand some concepts (this happens a lot with math classes).

I know some students have been forced online for one reason or the other and these students are struggling to adjust. So, if you are falling behind in online college and you have the option to change the way you learn, I strongly advise you to do it.

Some students prefer in-person classes where they can attend their lectures live and interact with their teachers and classmates. Online learning is certainly not for everyone, so consider changing the way you learn if you keep falling behind in online college.

4. START WORKING ON YOUR ASSIGNMENTS OR PAPERS AS SOON AS YOU RECEIVE THEM

As soon as you receive an assignment or asked to write a paper for a class, start working on it immediately. Even if it’s to outline it or make a list of the resources or references you need to complete the assignment or write the paper.

This way, when you sit down to write your paper, you won’t be starting on a blank slate. The same goes for your assignments. Outlining your answers or listing the points you want to include in your paper or assignment is a great way to get a head start on your schoolwork.

This should only take a few minutes at a time, so it’s a habit worth cultivating. You can also answer a few questions on your assignment just to get started. Since starting a new project is always the hardest part, working on an assignment as soon as you receive it can solve this problem and stop you from procrastinating.

5. KEEP A LIST OF DUE DATES

Keeping a list of due dates is one of the easiest ways to not fall behind in college or miss any due date. Get a planner and write out everything that you have to do and when they are due.

At the beginning of each week, go through your planner and put every assignment, paper, or test that’s due that week on your to-do lists. Remember to note when they are due, and give yourself a day or two before the due dates to hand them in (or in the case of a test, study for it).

When you keep a list of due dates, it’s hard to forget or ignore them, no matter how hard you try. This is good practice and something you should do if you are not already doing it.

Another benefit of doing this is that you won’t have to keep explaining to your teachers why you forgot to hand in a paper or complete an assignment. It’s a win-win for you and your teachers!

6. TAKE NOTES WHEN YOU READ

Take notes when you read so you can skim through them before starting a new chapter. This is good practice especially if a new chapter builds on the previous one and you struggle to remember what you read in the earlier chapters.

I know from experience some students spend a lot of time re-reading the same material because they can’t remember what they read before. So every time they sit down to study, they have to go back to earlier chapters before they can read the current chapter.

The problem with this is that you are going to fall behind in your readings because you won’t have time to do all the readings you need to.

So, the way to work around this is to take notes when you study. Just make a note of the key points, then move on to the next chapter.

If you need some study tips, check out the post below for some effective study tips for college students especially moms.

7. FALLING BEHIND IN COLLEGE CLASSES: STOP PROCRASTINATING

I would like to end this post on a real note. One of the main reasons many college students fall behind is because they procrastinate a lot. These students have poor time management and very little regard for keeping a schedule.

Since I am not in your shoes, I can’t say if this applies to you or not, but you need to do some soul searching about this. If you often find yourself making excuses when you should be studying or focusing on your schoolwork, then you have a problem with procrastination that you need to address.

As a college student, you need good time management skills to succeed. So, stop making excuses or wasting your time when you should be doing the things that will help you graduate from college.

Procrastination can steal your dreams and prevent you from excelling, so think about that the next time you want to put off your study time in favor of watching television or hanging out with friends.

Next steps if you are falling behind in college and need to catch up

Catching up when you are behind in college can feel overwhelming to some students, however, your situation is not hopeless. You just have to be committed to getting yourself back on track.

So, if you want to know how to catch up on school, first identify why you are behind, determine how far behind you are, then brainstorm some solutions to your problem.

In this post, I have given you lots of tips and ideas to help you catch up and to prevent you from falling behind again, so go through each idea, pick the ones that apply to you, and use it to turn your situation around.

Be ready to invest time and effort, and don’t forget to be patient and kind to yourself. It’s pointless beating yourself up. Save your energy for fixing the problem.

Are you falling behind in college? How do you plan to catch up?