If you are part of those that achieved poor WASSCE / WAEC results. If you are part of those that failed the WASSCE / WAEC examination. You are at the right place. I will show you the steps you should take to fix things. Follow them carefully, and things would be better off for you.
Note: I have already written a definitive guide with over 3000 words on how to pass the WASSCE / WAEC examination. I recommend you read that after reading this.
First off:
Do not take things too hard on yourself
You should manage the fact that you achieved a poor WASSCE / WAEC result, and not let it manage you.
That you had a poor WASSCE / WAEC result does not mean you should never watch movies anymore.
That you had a poor WASSCE / WAEC result does not mean you should not eat anymore.
That you had a poor WASSCE / WAEC result does not mean you cannot make it to the university.
That you failed the WASSCE does not mean you cannot be what you want to be in life.
Success is most often achieved by those who don’t know that failure is inevitable.
—Coco Chanel
Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.
—Napoleon Hill
Do not compare yourself to others
First of all, you should know that whatever mess you think you are in, somebody has been through worse.
You are not doing yourself any good if you compare yourself to your classmate who aced the WASSCE, and made it to the University.
Do not visit to his or her Facebook, Instagram or Twitter timeline—you may only end up getting depressed.
Believe this: most failures always lead to an opportunity. See your failure as an opportunity for success.
After all, almost every successful person you see today has failed at something.
Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is delay, not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead end. Failure is something we can avoid only by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing.—Denis Waitley
If you hear a voice within you say “you cannot paint,” then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced.–Vincent Van Gogh
Find out why you failed
Without knowing why you achieved a poor WASSCE / WAEC result, you may find it difficult to find the true path to success. Be wary of blaming others when doing this.Humans are fond of blaming others for their failures, and this usually prevents them from seeing or accepting the truth.Without knowing the truth, you would not be able to take the right decision as to what to do next.
Questions you should ask yourself when doing this include:
Where did I go wrong in the subjects I performed poorly?
Are my basics in different subjects poor?
What questions or topics do I find friendly?
What questions or topics do I not find friendly?
What would I do differently if I write the WASSCE again?
I have not failed. I have just found 10,000 ways that would not work.—Thomas A. Edison
Do not accept failure
You were not born a failure. If you don’t believe this then you have already failed. Accepting failure is a mistake most people who achieve poor WASSCE / WAEC results do. They stop having a positive mentality. They do not bother to try again, and more.
They just accept failure and lower their standard in life. This is absolutely wrong!
Accepting failure makes you a loser! Winners do not entertain failure. It is better to fail at trying than to fail at doing nothing.
Giving up is the only sure way to fail.
—Gena Showalter
There is no failure except in no longer trying.
—Chris Bradford
Forget about how others view you
It does not matter whether others see you as a failure. What matters is where you would be in the next 5-10 years.
If you take the right steps today, you would not end up a loser as others may presume.
Do not be shy, or scared of discussing your situation with others who might be in a position to help you
Look at this scenario:
I failed further Maths whilst Kofi aced it. I know Kofi can help me understand topics I find difficult.
I know he can give me a valuable advice on acing Further Mathematics.
However, the problem is that I am too shy or scared to tell him I failed the subject.
In my mind, he would see me as an “empty-head” or a “loser”.
However, in the actual sense, he would have sympathy on me, and will be willing to help me immensely.
Seek for help
Do not be proud, shy or ashamed to seek for help.
Do not try to face your problem on your own. Seek for assistance where need be.
These could involve:
Meeting your teachers for advice
Hiring a tutor who would coach you depending on your next plan or joining a WASSCE remedial school
Meeting other students or peers who can help you.
Seeking for help online
Etc.
Do anything that will get you back to the boat of success.
It is always good to learn how to swim from somebody who can swim, rather than throwing yourself into the water and trying to do it yourself.
They say experience is the best teacher, but do not be foolish to let your experience kill you.
Practice as you learn
Anyone who tells you practice is not proportional to success is a fat liar or simply ignorant.
If you decide to resit the exam, you should practice before hand. There is no better way to practice for the WASSCE than solving WASSCE / WAEC past questions as often as you can.
After all, WAEC hardly creates new questions from the scratch.They just recycle or refurbish old questions.
Time yourself when taking practice tests, and be very strict when grading yourself.
An ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching.
—Mahatma Gandhi
Find the right motivation
Motivation is pretty much the fuel that drives you. Finding the right motivation would build your perseverance.
Without the right motivation, the hunger to succeed would not be there. You would just be like an empty boat floating waywardly at sea.
Your motivation could be anything, it could be:
The desire to convince others that you can get an “A” in a subject you got an “F”
The desire to study the program of your choice at the University of your choice
The desire to show others you are not a “loser” as they presume
Find your motivation, and let it drive you to success.
Desire is the key to motivation, but its determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal —a commitment to excellence – that will enable you to attain the success you seek.
—Mario Andretti
People often say that motivation does not last. Well, neither does bathing —that is why we recommend it daily.
—Zig Ziglar
Have your paper or papers remarked / results cross-checked
If you are sure the grade you achieved in any subject does not reflect your effort on the exam, then having it remarked or cross-checked by WAEC officials may not be a bad idea.
There have been cases where students who had their WASSCE papers remarked or WASSCE results cross-checked achieved better grades.
However, you would have to pay to make this possible.
In addition, if you do end up achieving the same grade or lower in the remarked paper—that could come with a price.
This is why most students do not go for the remarking option. However, if you’re sure of your claim, this should not discourage you.
Resits
There is no harm in trying to redeem your name by rewriting the WASSCE / WAEC exam. I have seen students who achieve better grades on resits.
You failed the first time, pick yourself up, dust yourself and try again. Even if you fail in your second attempt, try again.
Never stop trying.Winners never quit.
When we give ourselves permission to fail, we, at the same time, give ourselves permission to excel.
— Eloise Ristad
I have missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I have been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.
—Michael Jordan
Find the right strategy forward
A good strategy is one of the best master piece in your collection. It will help you confront and manage your situation appropriately.
Ask yourself these questions in other to find the right strategy forward:
Do I need to resit the WASSCE?
What would I do differently if I write the WASSCE again?
How can I achieve my desired grade on the WASSCE?
What kind of questions would I attack first on the WASSCE if I choose to resit?
Do I want to study in my country or abroad?
Is the WASSCE the only option?
What are the options available to me to be what I want to be in life?
Find the right strategy and stick to it.
Obstacles, of course, are developmentally necessary: they teach kids strategy, patience, critical thinking, resilience and resourcefulness.
—Naomi Wolf
Leaders establish the vision for the future and set the strategy for getting there.
—John P. Kotter
Make good use of your time at home
You may not be going to the university this year, therefore use that as an opportunity to engage in things that would benefit your career or goals. You could take a business course, sign up for an internship, well, anything to give you an edge in an application pool tomorrow.
You can be gaining other skills while preparing to write the WASSCE or any other exam that could get you into the university and program of your choice.
The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.
—Henry Ford
Failure isn’t fatal, but failure to change might be.
—John Wooden
Embrace fear
Failure can only keep you down if you continue to fear it. Embrace the fear and you would release yourself from its control. Do not be scared of the future–your destiny is in your hands.
Everything you want is on the other side of fear.
—Jack Canfield
Seek for alternatives
You could do an IB or A level program.
You could sit for the SAT which can allow you to study abroad.
You could write the ACT or any other exam that can get you into a university or program, in the country of your choice.
You could even go back to high school, do a one year programme, and retake the WASSCE. This time fully prepared.
Make this decision wisely.
Prepare for the worst
There is still a chance you would encounter failures or disappointments even when you decide to work towards success.So, be prepared.
Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.
— Robert F. Kennedy
“It’s not how far you fall, but how high you bounce that counts.
—Zig Ziglar
Conclusion
Your failure or poor grades on the West Africa Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE) should not define you.
You can still be that great person you want to be.
Your just have to decide from today to make the required changes.
Things would be better off.
Once again, read my definitive guide with more than 50 tips on how to pass the WASSCE. It is more detailed than this.
I wish you well.
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