10 Tips to a Higher College GPA

Hello readers (anyone out there?), sorry I have not been updating at all lately.  I have been busy lately with college, been having a blast and have found better things to do with my time than to write blog posts.  I will try to update occasionally but cannot guarantee anything.  I will keep this blog up and domain for a while, to index what  I have written.  This post is a guest post from Karen who contacted me about writing a post, hope you guys enjoy.  Some more college tips to come.

Maintaining a high GPA is a must for students who have scholarships, demanding parents, or dreams of attending graduate school after college. If you’re one of those rare students who excel at everything academic, you have nothing to worry about. But if you’re normal, like the rest of us, you’ll need to take a proactive approach to your studies. Here are ten proven strategies and techniques you can employ to score a higher GPA throughout college.

10. Join or Form a Study Group – Surrounding yourself with people who are smart, motivated, and disciplined is a great way to get ahead. When you have other people to answer to, you are more likely to push yourself harder and do the necessary work. A study group can also provide numerous opportunities to discuss and review information you don’t understand.

9. Find Balance – Sometimes, the key to a higher GPA is as simple as choosing the right classes. For example, if you’re really bad at math, then it probably isn’t wise to take too many math-related courses at one time. Your academic life will be a lot easier if you find a balance and mix hard courses in with the required courses that you find easy or enjoyable.

8. Learn to Take Good Notes – Writing down every single thing that a professor says isn’t plausible or sensible. It is essential that you learn to take good notes while you are in college. You can try an established method of notetaking, such as the Cornell method, or develop your own technique. The important thing is that you learn how to pick out and write down essential information only. For more notetaking techniques and strategies, check out Henry’s list of 10 Tips to College Note Taking.

7. Know Your Professors – Some professors get annoyed by students who don’t participate in class discussions. Others are irritated by late homework or students who talk during lectures. The point is that just about every college professor has a pet peeve. Many mention what it is at the beginning of the semester or at some point during a class. When you find out which behavior irritates him or her most, take note. Not ticking off your professor could mean the difference between an A and a B.

6. Get Organized – People who have clean desks, study plans, and homework schedules tend to get better grades. Although it isn’t absolutely necessary to have all three of these things to maintain a decent GPA, a little organization on your part won’t hurt. There are several free web apps that can help you with this–Remember The Milk and CollegeRuled are two that come to mind immediately. You can also help yourself by creating to-do lists, tracking assignment due dates, and making sure you are really ready to work when you sit down to study or write a paper.

5. Don’t Cram – A lot of students think that the best way to study is to cram massive amounts of information into their brain immediately before an exam or midterm. Although this might work for select students who have an exceptional short term memory, it is much better to review the information you’re learning on a daily basis. Studies have shown that without review, the human brain can only retain half of what it takes in during a 48 hour period.

4. Learn How to Read – Or more precisely, learn how to read efficiently. It’s the only way that you will be able to get through mounds of assigned reading and stay on top of other tasks. There are several books on the subject of college reading that you can buy. You may also be able to read more efficiently by following these three basic rules: scan for the most important information versus reading every word, take notes, highlight the most important details, and flag pages as you read; verbally summarize what you have read to yourself or someone else after you have finished the text to reinforce comprehension.

3. Read As Much As Possible – Students who read frequently are more adept at writing, communicating, thinking abstractly, and extrapolating information from complex texts. In other words, reading is good for the brain. Any kind of reading–everything from Proust to Potter to the back of a cereal box is acceptable–as long as you read something.

2. Retake a Course (or Two) – A troublesome course can have a negative impact on your GPA. Fortunately, most colleges allow students to retake courses. Retakes are not the idea solution for everyone–they cost money and time–but if you do better on your second try only the second grade will be used to calculate your GPA.

1. Take College Seriously – As obvious as this should be to everyone who wants to call themselves a college student, it is still worth mentioning. There is absolutely no way to get a high GPA without taking your professors, your classes, and your grades seriously. College isn’t high school and shouldn’t be treated as such. You need to attend class, limit your partying, and assume responsibility for your education.

Guest post submitted by Karen Schweitzer. Karen writes for AssociateDegree.org, a site that specializes in online associate degree information.