Bad midterm month, falling behind in class, stressed? It happens. All of these problems can put your GPA in hot water and crank your stress levels to 11/10 by trying to find ways to bump that low C to an A. You may feel like you’re dead in the water and sinking after those terrible waves of exams, but it shouldn’t be the end of the world. Here are some tips and tricks to help you sprint to the finish line and end the semester strong!
- Office Hours, Office Hours, Office Hours!!
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You may hear this a lot and is getting super repetitive, but professors don’t just put their office hour information at the top of their syllabus for nothing. Your professors actually want you to succeed and are concerned when your performance in the class isn’t want you want it to be. It may seem intimidating to approach your professor in office, but it’s very useful especially if you’re not grasping the concept well or just need some new study tactics for the next midterm. It shows the professor that you actually care about your success in the class.
- Go to Supplemental Instruction (SI)!
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Many core classes at Baylor offer a supplemental instructor in addition to the class. They are a very helpful source if you’re wanting to further your knowledge on a specific concept. SI’s are proven to bring on average a whole or ½ a letter grade higher compared to other students who don’t attend SI at all.
- Tutoring is your best friend!
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You used your professor and SI as a resource and you’re still at a dead end. Baylor has Success Center Tutoring located in Sid Richardson, or better known as Sid Rich. It is very helpful for homework help or just wanting to hear a different perspective on a student who had experience taking the course and succeeding with a good grade.
- Talk to an Academic Coach/Mentor!
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Maybe the strategy you’ve been using for exams isn’t useful and you’re interested in switching study habits or creating a new one. Baylor offers one-on-one academic coaching sessions and you can create a plan for improving your grades whether it’s time management, study schedule, avoiding procrastination, or taking notes. If you put in the effort into changing your routine, you’ll improve in no time.
- Form a study group!
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Hearing other students’ tips and how they study is very useful. Often times it’s much easier to collaborate with another person who can help you answer some of your questions and an excellent way to fill the gaps in your knowledge. By comparing notes with other students, everyone can check the accuracy of their own. They can fix errors and fill in the details they may have missed.
It’s 4.0 season, ladies and gentlemen. Time to crack down hard on these classes and end the semester strong! Be sure to use these tips in your studies!