I recently met with my counsellor and found out that I would need to take two more years of classes in order to finish my Math degree (I’m already in my third year…). I’m not sure where to go from here—I’m torn between dropping out, taking a year off to hike the Appalachian trail (but I’d need to live with my parents for a while), or putting my head down and finishing the two years. 

-Sincerely, COURSE CORRECTING

Dear COURSE,

First of all, that’s a bummer, and it always takes some time to adjust when your five-year plan (inevitably) doesn’t go as you hoped. Take some time to lick your wounds, but don’t give up! You’re already three years in (as a Math major, you’ll know that’s still more than 50 per cent of the way there, even with the extra year). We suggest looking into summer classes, to see if you might be able to take a couple of credits off your plate in the coming years. As for the Appalachian trail, that sounds like fun! Ask your counselor whether you could take only a semester off, rather than a full year, if that helps decrease the amount of time you’d have to live at home. You also might want to consider whether a semester in the woods might leave you feeling refreshed, resolved, and ready to get back in the classroom, or if all the integrals and derivatives will dribble out of your ears with the birdsong, leaving you unsure of yourself when you get back to the concrete jungle.

Help! I asked my Computer Science professor for an extension on an assignment, and then when the time came to turn it in, I only got a 44 per cent! I want to keep going to office hours, though… How can I look my prof in the eye and keep working with them through the end of the semester?

-Sincerely, FAILED THE ASSIGNMENT

Dear FAILED,

Oof—but hey, we’ve all been there. The important thing is to use this as a learning experience. In our experience, profs appreciate directness and honesty when you’ve messed up, rather than a string of excuses (no matter how eloquent your fabricated email may be…). If you want to save your relationship with the prof, own up to your mistake, ask what you could have done better, and show you’re interested in improving. While it may sting in the moment, showing you can learn from your mistakes will impress a professor a lot more than a heartless B minus. Also don’t forget to swing by FrostBite if your assignment was worth more than 30 per cent of your grade!

I’m a Biology student who’s never really had to do presentations in class before. All of a sudden, I have a ton of in-class presentations coming up at the end of the semester! I’m feeling overwhelmed trying to finish them all, and I’m worried about freezing in class. Any advice to help get them all done? 

-Sincerely, STAGE FRIGHTENED

Dear FRIGHTENED, 

Presentations are scary! We feel you—that’s why we write for the newspaper. But you’ve got this: Take your time with each presentation, and practice, practice, practice. The key to remembering your lines is twofold: Care about what you’re saying (if possible…) and know your material well. If you can practice by presenting to your roommates, friends, or a sympathetic stuffed animal, that will go a long way in your performance. As science students ourselves, we encourage you to aim for an interesting and engaging presentation, even though dry presentations with walls of texts on endless powerpoint slides are often the norm in science. For inspiration, try imitating professors who you find to be good speakers, or watch some SciShow videos to get an idea of what effective science communication looks like.