Another reading week has passed. Another sea of assignments awaits us on the other side of the break. While the reading week gives a breather for all of us, the assignments can be challenging at the LSE. Aside from the assignments, there’s one more worry engulfing some of us, if not all.

The exams and summative assignments attempted back in January have gradually started to publish their grades for most of us. Some of us may have passed with flying colours, while others might experience some degree of frustration. Here are three tips for dealing with results blues if you haven’t performed as well as you thought you would.

1. Do not compare yourself with others

All of us bring our unique skillsets to a master’s programme to build another unique skill set. The base of that foundation isn’t always homogenous. That, in no way, poses a question to the intellect of the candidate. It’s easy to start comparing the growth with your peers, comforting at times. The trick is to remember the yardstick of your growth is not others rather it is you.

If you catch yourself entering the comparison loop, please remember that your growth doesn’t depend on others. It starts and ends with you. Therefore, get inspired by many, but get compared with none.

2. Reach out to your professors and academic mentors

For a lot of students, the academic environment might seem daunting and rigorous. Perhaps, you have worked for an extended period before joining the master’s, or perhaps you fell out of touch with the rigour of academia. Nonetheless, professors and academic mentors are there in the guise of experts who can help you navigate the murky areas. If you expected to do better in a course but somehow could not perform up to the standard, you can reach out to your professor and/or academic mentor and seek guidance. Years of experience in the field have equipped them to bestow some insights on how to perform better. If all else fails, at least you have an outlet to channel your frustration in a productive way.

3. Don’t look back in anger

Oasis got it right when they sang Don’t look back in anger. This can be a great opportunity to reflect on how you can improve and apply those for your remaining courses. While frustration is natural, channelling that frustration into better study techniques, time management skills, and determination has a higher likelihood of bringing positive change. Therefore, looking forward than backward is always a better choice. If you indeed decide to look backwards, look back with a reflective perspective rather than vindictive.

I have recently been advised to trust the process. Therefore, I am sharing the advice with you if you need some form of solace. If you are struggling too much in this period, do not hesitate to reach out to LSE Student Wellbeing and ask for help and support.