How to Ace Your Grades in College

With it being back to school time, I decided I will be talking about tips and tricks on how to improve your performance in your classes in college. So as a college 3.3 to 4.0 GPA here are my tips:

• SHOW UP TO CLASS!, sorry for the all bold but you would be surprised how many students will skip a majority of their classes, and then wonder why they are not passing. To learn, you need to be there, also you may make friends, which is always a plus.
• Take notes, there are many note-taking styles, and hundreds of blogs, videos, Instagram and Tumblr posts on them find one or two styles that work for you. I prefer the Cornell style, and remember to take notes on both your reading assignments and in class.

• Create a study group/ group chat to ask questions and study together. This is super helpful, plus a great way to make friends.
• Make flashcards the old fashion way if you need a lot of help. Writing something ten times helps place it in your short term memory.
• Check Quizlet for other people flashcards, sometime even professors will have some for their classes. You can also create your own here. Plus they transfer you stack into practice quizzes, and study games.
• This is something I struggle with but please do as I say and not as I do. Read your chapters before class and take notes, then add your in-class notes into your book notes. So you know something before you go to class, especially if you have questions.
• color code your second version of your notes. If that is your thing, personally I don’t do this.
• Sit somewhere between the front to the middle of the class. So you have more pressure to stay present in class and not talk or drift. Which can be hard not to do, especially during a 3+ hour lecture… trust me I know.
• Bring a reusable water bottle to class and even some snacks if you are someone who needs them. Keeping hydrated has been shown to help you when learning and studying.
• Create a dialogue with your professors, if your professors know you they are more likely to want to help you find ways for you to succeed. I always participate in class and ask questions, and because of my interest in the class when I have problems like most us will have in every class my teachers want to try and point me in the right direction of resources, or will help by trying to explain concepts in other ways to help me understand.
• Use a planner whether that’s the calendar on your phone (or a similar app) or a classic paper planner. I write paper to-do list but I have an electric for due dates listed on my school calendar.

• Find a time management system that works for you, I personally use the blocking method, here is an old post I wrote about it. However there are many options, so find what works for you.
• Participate in extra circulars so this may be more helpful for high schoolers but it is still relevant if you are in college or university. It is well known that students who participate in at least one extra activity tend to get better grades and are more likely to stay in school. This is probably because this will help you build a community at school you can turn to if you need support or help both with school or personal issues.
• Rember you don’t have to do these perfectly or be perfect it’s about getting better with time.

I hope these tips help you rock this school year. Please remember to do what works for you and to enjoy the process of learning. Thank you for reading my article, let me know what you thing.