how to cope with failing a class and possibly taking another semester of college
I am an upcoming junior this fall in EE and I have already failed one class and i’m possibly going to fail another. UTK has the courses ECE201 and ECE202 which I have both taken. I failed 201 which sucked but I got over it since I retook it in the spring (i failed in the fall). However, this made me take ECE202 this summer (my final exam was three days ago). I NEED to pass this class to be able to graduate on time because it is a prereq for EVERY SINGLE CLASS i am registered for this fall. I don’t feel very confident in my final exam score and have been trying to cope with a high possibility of failing another course. Could you guys please give me your stories and how you coped with failing a class/taking an extra semester. I’m trying to cope by telling myself that not everyone in STEM graduates in four years and that I will be fine as long as I get this degree, but it is taking a toll on my mental health. It’s also not helping that 201 and 202 are circuit courses, which is crucial for my major. I feel stupid and behind as all my other engineering friends haven’t failed a single class yet while I have to take a summer class to catch up. Please tell me your experience and how you dealt with this if you’ve been in a similar scenario.
Posted Jul 4, 2026, 6:30 PM UTC