Starting out strong academically and slowly fading away is a common pattern for many students during the fall semester. Once final grades are administered one may feel a slight sting and regret not putting in more effort.
New Years Eve rolls around and one of the most common resolutions among students is to pick up the slack during the spring semester and boost that GPA! Follow these 5 tips and tricks to get started on your resolution and keep it going.
1. Make a designated reading schedule
Almost every course you take during your college years requires extensive reading to be done weekly, even daily. Setting aside an hour everyday outside of homework time is essential. Completing course readings helps one to better understand the material being taught in class and sure comes in handy during exams!
2. Label files properly
Taking notes on a laptop or tablet is becoming the norm for most students; it is fast, efficient, and a way to avoid sloppy handwriting or a panic attack from loosing your notebook. However, not properly labeling your files can result in a different panic attack of finding where you saved your work. Create individual files for each course and label each document with the courses title and a description of the work.
3. Take advantage of the Library
That big beautiful building on many campuses filled books is not just for show, believe it or not! The library is an exceptional place to get work done or study. Providing quite spaces and resources on almost every subject, getting work done in the library is a lot more sufficient than doing work in your room.
4. Avoid cramming
“I’ll get to it later” is a thought many have while sitting in bed watching their favorite show on Netflix. The night before an exam can creep up on you when you’re least expecting it. Begin your studying at least 3 days before an exam to ensure enough time for material to sink in. Rome was not built in a day and neither is getting a good grade on your exams!
5. GO TO CLASS
Sleeping in may seem like the best option at 7am when your alarm goes off, but when you’re sitting in class taking an exam on material you weren’t lectured on, loosing a few hours of sleep seems unimportant. Waking up everyday for class is a huge struggle for many but the cons outweigh the pros significantly.