How to Get A’s, Not B+’s

You have probably had a night similar to this: spent the night cramming on the second floor of McKeldin, called Nite Ride to take you home because the buses stopped running by the time you were done studying, watched the sun rise on the ride home, took a power nap, woke up, ran to the exam hoping for the best but not expecting an A, maybe a solid B.

Do we expect B’s because we did not put the proper time into studying or are we stuck in a mindset that  A’s are for geniuses, and only “mini Einsteins” and “super nerds”  can get a 4.0 grade point average? Well I believe A’s are possible for everyone. I personally have never received a perfect GPA, but I talked to students that have and are willing to spill on what the big secret is and how it feels to get a 4.0.

Senior criminal justice major Corey Zoldan received a near 4.0 the fall semester of his junior year. He said, “Seeing the A felt like the best reward for a job well done; it just made everything worth it.” Prior to that semester Zoldan realized he wasn’t taking schoolwork as serious as he should. So the semester before he studied abroad he made the decision to turn his B’s into A’s by making sure he did his absolute best so he could leave on a good note.

“I made sure I never really missed a class and I put way more time into my studies,” said Zoldan. “Instead of lunch with friends I would grab a quick bite to eat and then have my own study session. I also only went out once a week and studied on Fridays.”

Not only did that semester boost his cumulative GPA, it also taught him new study habits for the future. Zoldan explained, “Now in times when I need to buckle down and study, like for the LSAT’s, I know what to do. “
I also talked to senior business major, Megan Krenzke, who received a perfect GPA fall semester of her freshman year and spring semester of her sophomore year.

She also has received near perfect grades every other semester. Krenzke is a CRS supervisor at Cole Field House and president of her sorority, Alpha Omicron Pi. She told me how she kept up her grades despite being so busy.

She said, “It’s all about managing your time and realizing that you can’t do it all. You have to prioritize; school comes ahead of all that stuff.” Krenzke also stressed the importance of starting off the right way, “Never have a ‘slump semester;’ if you don’t dig a hole you won’t have to worry about getting yourself out of it.”

 In addition to this she is also a self-proclaimed textbook reader. She told me that doing the assigned readings prepares you for the lessons and exams ahead of time so you don’t have to cram the entire night before. “I’ve pulled ‘all-niters’ before, they aren’t that effective’, said Krenzke. “The sleep, even if it’s for only four hours, is worth way more.”

Teachers are also willing to give advice on how to go the extra mile. Senior lecturer at the Phillip Merrill College of Journalism and Pulitzer Prize winner Deborah Nelson gives her advice.  She explained that skipping classes and readings can put you at a great disadvantage.

“Many courses are like building blocks,” Nelson said. “If you don’t understand fundamentals you won’t get the more complex issues later on.” In addition she stressed the significance of rubrics. Nelson said, “I’ve discovered the key to getting good grades is a very specific rubric. If students understand what it takes, they will achieve the grade they want.”

She encourages students to actively participate during class time. In her classes she incorporates students’ participation into the grade. “Participation helps you process the information that you’re learning,” Nelson said. “If you wait until exams to test your understanding, you could end up with a C.”

It’s not too late if you have already missed classes and did worse than you expected on your first exam. Nelson said that meeting with your teachers is an adequate solution when you’re falling behind. She said that these meetings can, “improve your grades and correct misunderstandings.” “I’ve found that the student who struggles in the beginning and came to office hours ended up doing very well,” Nelson said.

Here are some more tips from Educhoices.org’s “20 Easiest ways to Raise your College GPA”:
–        Join or form a study group
–        Study at the library
–        Develop a note taking system that works
–        Take advantage of extra credit opportunities
–        Take every class seriously
–        Set a goal and reward yourself

I call my new goal “Operation 4.0”. I’m trying to get closer to the perfect GPA than I have ever gotten before or maybe even achieve a 4.0. Be inspired and show yourself that you can be one of those  “geniuses “ and “mini Einstein’s” that can get A’s rather than B’s.