College means a lot of things — meeting new people, living in a dorm and being so excited to go Downtown your first time that you wear the wristband for two weeks afterward. It also means a tougher workload than ever before. Tests are often harder than we expect. Sure, failing one or two exams happens, but that doesn’t mean you should withdraw or drop out of school to become a travelling exotic dancer. Whether we’re talking about a midterm or just a small quiz, try these tips for coping with a bad grade.

1. Talk to your teaching assistant or professor

Professors are intimidating, no doubt, but it’s good to address that you bombed and to work out a game plan with them. This way, you’re saying, “Check me out, I’m committed to learning.” They’ll be more willing to help you. Warning — don’t grade grub, that’s just annoying. Yet, don’t wait until the week before your next test to seek help. Not only will you be left hanging, but you’ll be stuck relying on a night-before review session where that one girl asks the professor 100 questions.

2. Start studying

The best thing to do when you get a terrible grade on a test is start studying for the final. Start as soon as you can. Studying will make you feel better. And because finals are more important, you can still save yourself.

Miranda Sanchez, a sophomore majoring in psychology, knows what it’s like to fail and bounce back.

“When I fail a test, I’m furious,” Sanchez said. “I make sure I spend hours in the [Glenn G. Bartle] Library preparing for the next test and it usually pays off.”

Improving academically depends on being in the classroom as well. We all have that moment laying in bed when we think to ourselves, “Do I get up and go to chem, or do I catch up on ‘Extreme Couponing’ on Hulu?” You should be at every lecture — not that “Extreme Couponing” isn’t educational.

3. Get a tutor

Tutors are a great resource. They’re usually upperclassmen or grad students who know your teacher and the material. They get it. Bonus — when you meet with a tutor, they get paid, so you’re helping the recession. Or something like that.

Hayley Dicken, a sophomore double-majoring in graphic design and human development, thinks working with a tutor is time well-spent.

“When I don’t do as well as I’d like on an exam, I like going to a tutor,” Dicken said. “A lot of the time they have insights about the professor or the type of questions they ask.”

4. Laugh it off

The most important thing you can do when you fail a test is just laugh.

Crying in front of your TA isn’t going to change your grade. During my freshman year, I took my first major test in college. It was a philosophy midterm, and I got a 42 percent on it. It was an in-class essay about this Jewish philosopher Spinoza, and I talked about how he fled from the Nazis. The guy died in like 1540.

I did what any kid should — I laughed. Then I considered getting medical help. In the end, studying harder always counteracts a bad test, just as long as you don’t fail the final. In that case, becoming a travelling exotic dancer is still a viable option. It’s not the worst career choice either, really. Just ask my mom.