It's that dreaded moment you've seen coming since you handed the test in: Telling your parents that you royally bombed it. Tracy Roden, a Greenbrier High School teacher, has some tips on how to make the situation less explosive.

- Begin by telling them it "builds character" to show that you grasp what you've done is unacceptable.

- Next, use logic on them. Something along the lines of, "You wouldn't want the first time I fail something to be in college where you couldn't help me through it." This appeals not only to their soft side but to their maternal or paternal pride.

- Finally, show that you're truly sorry but ready to move past it by using humor. Something like, "You should be proud that I didn't cry."

Flunking happens to the best of us, and the best thing to do is accept your fallibility and move forward.