We’ve all been there. You’ve all studied long and hard for a test, just to realize that the hours of effort put into studying did not pay off when your grade comes out. What is the best way to deal with a disappointing grade, and how do you bounce back from it?

1. Give Yourself Time to Calm Down

According to The APA’s Stress in America survey, 30% of teens feel stressed or overwhelmed because of school. Getting stressed over a grade will prevent you from moving on from your feelings of defeat and makes it harder to do damage control. Take a break and treat yourself by doing things like “getting boba or doing a little retail therapy,” like sophomore Charisse Liu does when she’s disappointed.

2. Evaluate Where You Went Wrong

Realizing the mistakes you made when preparing for the test will help you identify what went wrong and will prevent you from making those mistakes in the future. Did you not pay attention in class or fail to do your homework? Did you procrastinate a lot? Whatever your mishaps may have been, identifying them will help you come to terms with your situation. Asking your teacher for feedback on your test or reading the comments they wrote while grading can also help you identify if you misunderstood something.

3. Make a Plan of Action

Like American rapper Big Sean once said, it’s time to “bounce back.” Now that you’ve come to terms with your grade and evaluated your mistakes, it’s time to move on and prepare for future tests. Don’t be afraid to ask your teacher for advice on how to raise your grade! You can also be like sophomore Kevin Tanzil, who “just studies more” for his next test when he receives a disappointing grade, by turning his feelings of defeat into motivation! If you feel it’s necessary, ask for extra help from your teacher, a tutor, or a peer to make sure you understand the course material.

Receiving a bad test grade may feel like the end of the world, but it isn’t. One bad grade doesn’t mean you aren’t smart or that you are a bad student. Putting in effort and developing a good work ethic now will bring success at some point, no matter what a grade on a paper says!