Your GPA and 5 Ways to Boost It

By Andrea Loaiza on February 19, 2017

When my college advisor told me that the recommended number of classes was four, I almost laughed.

“If I used to have 13 classes in high school, I can handle four …” I said to myself.

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Maintaining a high GPA is a difficult job that every student must deal with. You are not alone in this fight. As a transfer student, I’ve had to maintain my GPA of 3.0+ because of a scholarship that allows me to pay my tuition as a resident rather than an international student.

It’s not until you are in your junior year that you comprehend the importance of GPA. There are some clubs/organizations/fraternities that won’t let you in if you have a low GPA. Also, believe me, that the only way a company knows if you are a good student is by looking at how well you’ve done.

If you are a regular student, you may have failed a class or got a grade lower than a B-. This situation can be very stressful. However, if you are ready to come back to the game, I’ve got some techniques that could help you boost your GPA.

(1) Be organized

Prioritizing is important. I’m a person who loves being busy, but I know there’ll be times where I won’t be able to do every single thing I want. Document everything you must do, either in the calendar of your cell phone, computer, or in a journal. It depends on what you use more or what you feel more comfortable using.

Likewise, I would recommend buying new school supplies. If you are a girl who loves pink, buy everything in pink. If you are a guy who loves Spiderman, there are a few notebooks left in Walmart. Pick school supplies that make you feel excited to use them. As an organizer freak, I love notebooks, highlighters, post-its and more, so at the beginning of the semester, I bought a ton of them and I’m dying to use them. #noregrets

Also, don’t think that the only thing you need to organize is your notebook. Living in a clean and organized environment makes everything easier, including studying. I can tell you that there’s a big difference when I study in a room that’s dirty than when I study in a clean place.

(2) Attend class

Even if the professor just reads the PowerPoint, I would seriously recommend you go to class. It’s sure unfair to pay a professor to teach you something you could read at your house, but let’s be honest, you won’t read them until the day before your exam. Go to class and try to pay attention. Don’t go to class thinking that it’s a waste of time. If you pay enough attention, studying for the test won’t be too difficult because you will be already familiar with the material.

When we were in high school, we could see the real consequences of skipping class. However, now that we don’t have professors chasing us or threatening to call our parents, we don’t even think twice before dismissing the alarm.

According to a survey made by Class120, “college students are missing an average of 240 classes over the course of four years.”

That’s almost one year of class. Don’t think that you are not wasting money just because you are not paying for it. If you are going to spend thousands of dollars to learn, better take advantage of it.

(3) Notetaking

First of all, don’t sit in a place where you know you won’t pay attention. Sitting in the last row just makes it harder to concentrate and sitting in the first row could be a problem if the professor is showing slides while talking. Find a place where it’s comfortable to see the PowerPoint and listen to the professor.

I know this is the 21st century and that it’s typical for students to use their laptop in class. However, laptops are not very friendly when we need to take notes. Yes, it is faster than taking notes by hand, but laptops are too disruptive with their internet connection. If you sit in the last row of the class and look down I assure you most of the laptop screens of the other students are going to show Facebook, Amazon, or another online store.

Take handwritten notes as much as you can, and if you really prefer using your laptop, then close every tab that may distract you. Also, consider barely closing your laptop when you’ve finished writing something so you won’t have the temptation of opening Pinterest for the third time. Also, avoid using your cell phone while in class/studying. HIDE IT IN THE DEPTHS OF YOUR BAG.

(4) Take advantage of every extra credit opportunity

Extra credit opportunities are the lively example of second chances for college students. Don’t. Waste. Them. A single point could improve your GPA. If you have a class where you’ve got a B+ and the professor gives you an extra credit, take it. This way you are assuring a good grade in case you end up having a C on an exam.

(5) Choose a study method

“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.”
– Albert Einstein.

If you have noticed that the way you study is not working, STOP. It doesn’t matter if you did it in high school and it worked, or if you saw your cousin doing it. Everyone is different, and you must find a method that will work for you.

•Group vs. Alone

You can study in a group, where everyone is helping each other to understand the material. You can review in a group after you’ve studied individually; that way everyone knows what you’re talking about and you can just ask about the information you are not completely sure about. Or, you can study alone. Sometimes studying without people talking can inspire you to concentrate better.

•Whole Book vs. Summaries

There are people (like me) that don’t know how to study from a summary. I would usually read the whole chapter (if the class includes PowerPoints, I would read them too), and I would make summaries out of them. That way, I already know the information, and the summary just includes the things I thought were important. However, as I know my process takes time, I usually have to study a week before the exam.

Music vs. No Music

There are people who love to listen to the latest music when studying. There are others that listen to instrumental music because people singing messes with their concentration. Others feel it’s just a distraction.

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