When spring comes, Elon’s campus goes into full swing – even more flowers than usual burst into blossom, students relax around the Commons and it’s easy to get distracted by the millions of events that seem to come from nowhere. But don’t let spring distract you too much. We still have a few weeks to go, and there is something you need to keep in mind: your grades.
We’re all guilty of it. Spring hits and suddenly classes and your place on the Dean’s List are the last things on your mind. Even more suddenly, you realize your grades are slipping and you have only a few weeks left until finals. Don’t freak out too much – we have some tips to help you out.
Get a tutor. Whether you ask the cute boy in your class or go a more official route, getting a tutor is one of the most effective ways of raising your grades. Ask around. Who is doing better on those stats tests than you are? See if they are interested in helping you out. Maybe there is something you can help someone out with and you can come up with some type of exchange. He or she helps you with math, you help with psych. Don’t feel comfortable asking a friend for help? Take yourself on over to the library. Tutoring Services is an awesome resource that everyone – upperclassmen included – can really benefit from taking advantage of.
Go to the Writing Center. Located on the first floor of Belk, the Writing Center is full of students looking to help you with pretty much anything writing related. Sick of getting traumatizing grades on com assignments? Frustrated by the lack of useful feedback on your research papers? The Writing Center is the place to go. They work with you one-on-one to help you improve your writing, and with better writing comes better grades.
Get Organized. When your papers are all over the place and you have documents cluttering up your laptop, it can be impossible to stay on task and to even know what you need to get done. Use stickies, make a to-do list, write on a dry erase board or fill your phone’s calendar with homework assignments and upcoming tests. There are loads of apps out there meant to help keep you on track. Google Calendar is a personal favorite, but Evernote and myHomework are really useful too. Once you’ve got yourself together, you can spend less time freaking out over the assignment you completely forgot about and spend more time relaxing and enjoying the sun with friends.
Reward yourself. Didn’t get anything done on Friday? Don’t let yourself go out on Saturday until you’ve put in a solid few hours of homework or studying. Got everything you needed to do for next week done this week? Spend the weekend with friends. Before you begin working, plan a few rewards for yourself here or there. When you finish drafting your paper, let yourself go to Smitty’s with your roommates. Just make sure to return to your work and not get too distracted by the warm weather on the walk over or your quick trip to get ice cream will turn into a three-hour hang out.
Last but not least, don’t spend too much time freaking out. College is stressful and grades are important, but at the end of the day, what happens happens. Study as hard as you can for finals, don’t put off those final portfolios, and you might find that you’re more prepared than you think. You’ve worked hard all semester and your grades will reflect that.