Congratulations! You have made it to your spring semester of college. However, if you are the average student, you have not analyzed why you did not do your best last semester. Instead, you are heading full speed ahead to May praying you can pull off the same miracle you did in December.
Luckily, for you, someone has spent the last four years analyzing and perfecting our schedules here at Georgia State University. We have gathered a few tips that could help you make better schedule decisions and increase your GPA.
The following tips should be modified to fit your lifestyle:
1. Full-time students with part-time jobs or interns should consider taking classes on Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday. Going to classes two days out of the week gives you time in between classes to complete assignments before or after a workday. Whenever you do not have assignments to complete, you could be productive on or off campus. The opportunities are endless when you have at least four hours of leisure time. CAUTIONS! Do not Netflix and chill too much during your free time.
2. All students should schedule study sessions within their class schedules. For instance, if you take classes Monday thru Thursday then you should have an intense study session on either Friday or Sunday. Do not forget to incorporate tasty snacks and an amazing playlist.
3. Your time on campus should not always be spent in a classroom. Make sure you include office hour visits into your schedule. We are not sure why professors enjoy office visits, but showing your face and addressing grade concerns before “finals week” increases your chances of passing the class. Professors remember those who were willing to converse about their grade respectfully.
4. It is important to not over schedule yourself. If you are not a morning person, do not schedule 8 a.m. or 9 a.m. courses unless you have to. If you find yourself in an 8 a.m. and you are always late or falling behind on class notes create a study group with smart students. Please keep in mind that they are smart. They will not do your work for you. Come ON TIME to the study session with incentives and good vibes. Also, refer to number three on this list.
5. Purchase a planner. Fill in your calendar on your smartphone. Set reminders. These are all keys to success. Keep in mind if you properly fill these items in, but ignore and procrastinate you will continue to suffer. If you are a procrastinator move the due dates of the assignments up, so you are inclined to start thinking about doing them earlier.
If you want to increase your GPA, you have to organize and become goal driven. Make sure you do a GPA prediction at the beginning of each semester to see how much your GPA would increase if you got certain grades. Always stay up to date on your grades and ask for help when needed. We look forward to hearing your testimonies this summer!
**Image credit via giphy.com, Pinterest and HCGSU staff**