Summarize the following:
Sometimes, when someone we care about feels crappy, the best thing we can offer is a listening ear. Give your loved one the opportunity to air his or her grievances about academic problems. Being able to express oneself in this way can be incredibly soothing. Plus, allowing your loved one to vent shows that you care. Demonstrate active listening by turning to face the person and making regular eye contact. Nod your head or make appropriate sounds to show you're listening, such as "uh-huh." When the person is done talking, try to reflect back what he or she has said using emotion. For example, you might say "It sounds like you're really angry about your performance on the test." At this point, simply let the person talk. Refrain from trying to "fix" the problem just yet. One humbling way to support your friend during this tough circumstance is to share a situation in which you struggled. It might pertain to academics or it might merely be an anecdote about a different obstacle you have to overcome. Just make sure that the message is clear, and that you don't make yourself seem better than your friend. It may be scary at first to open up and tell someone about a difficulty you faced. However, it's important to note that sharing your story may help your friend see that everyone encounters hardships and that it's entirely possible to succeed despite setbacks. Although you can't fix the situation, there may be something you can do to help the person through it. Are you good in the subject that he or she is struggling in? Perhaps you could casually offer some tips on how to improve. Do you have pretty good study skills? Maybe you can share some of those nuggets of wisdom with your friend. Keep in mind that your friend may not want your help. Instead of thinking in advance of how you will help, simply ask "Is there anything I can do?" and see what the person's response is. If he or she wants help from you, let them make a specific request. That way you don't put your foot in your mouth by coming off like you're superior. Give your loved one a much-needed self-esteem boost. It's normal for someone's self-esteem to take a hit after performing poorly in school. Take a moment to offer a sincere compliment on some other attribute. Remind the person what else he or she has going despite having a bad grade. You can say something like "I know it sucks that you got an F in math. Luckily, you don't have to worry about that in English. You're the best student in that class!" Just make sure the compliment is true and the person knows you're not just saying it to make them feel better. If your friend is upset over bad grades, the very best comfort you can offer is your presence. Just be there. Extend a shoulder for them, if they'd like. It's not really your job to fix the situation or make it better in any way, really. It's up to your friend to deal with poor grades, but he or she will certainly appreciate you showing support and acknowledging that it's a sucky situation.
Let the person vent. Share a story of how you overcame adversity. Offer to help however you can. Remind them about other talents. Be there.