Looking to score that 4.0 GPA this semester? Us too. The only way to get there is through lots of hard work and dedication, but the process is going to be a lot smoother if you start sooner rather than later. So, what are some things you can do now that the semester has begun? Don’t worry, we have the answers:
1. Get to know your professors.
Two words: office hours. Find out what they are for each of your professors and write them down. Your professor is the most qualified person to help you on that first assignment you may be struggling on. Besides that, showing up at their office hours shows them that you genuinely care about succeeding in their classes and allows them to get to know you as a student.
2. Form a study group for your hardest class.
Two heads are better than one! Get the contact info of a few classmates and see if they’re willing to study together outside of class. Not only will this help tremendously in motivating you to study and get assignments done, it may even provide you with some great new friends. Just be sure you can still be productive while you enjoy each other’s company.
3. Get organized.
If you don’t already have one, find a cute planner you can easily carry around with you and write all your important dates and assignments in. This will be your life-saver when it comes to remembering what homework is due when. There are also lots of great ideas on Pinterest for how to get and stay organized, varying from making cute binder covers to a complex system of color coding your entire planner. Find what works for you, and use it!
4. Start reading your textbook.
Yes, it’s a pain and a bore– but if your professor requires you to buy a textbook for the class, he’s probably going to start teaching from it as soon as classes start. The sooner you do the reading, the more time you’ll have to chop it into smaller, easier sections, and the less chance you’ll have of falling behind.
5. Make a study schedule.
This is something that I’m terrible about, but I want to be better at this semester. I’ve always heard that for every hour you spend in class, you should spend another hour outside of that class studying. For example, if you’re taking 15 credit hours, you should be studying for an additional 15 hours a week outside of class. It sounds scary, but if you break it down to studying once a day every day, that’s only a little more than 2 hours every day.
Do you have any other advice for starting the semester off strong? Comment below, we’d love to hear it!