Happy Monday, we meet again!
So far I’ve talked to you about eating cheap, getting involved on campus, surviving college in the middle of a major pandemic, and much more. BUT, I still haven’t really touched on the most important part of college…keeping up with your grades and schoolwork.
While you might not want to look at this topic as the most important part of college, deep down you know it is. So, this week I’ll be sharing with you what I’ve learned over the past few years and the advice I have for when it comes to managing your schoolwork and keeping your grades up.
But first, check out this article on why keeping up your GPA in college is so important.
So, when I first got to college, my classes were the LAST thing on my mind. I was too worried about making friends and getting adjusted to a new way of life. I honestly figured the workload wouldn’t be that much different when compared to how it was in high school. However, as time went on and I kept putting my schoolwork on the bottom of my to-do list, I noticed my grades were continuously getting worse.
I always tell people this, but my first semester of college was the worst my GPA has ever been. This is because I wasn’t putting in the proper amount of time and dedication in my schoolwork that I needed to be. I kept putting my classes on the backburner and prioritizing hanging out with my friends over everything else. Though, as I began to realize how much slacking on my classes my freshman year would affect my GPA for the rest of my time in college, I knew I needed to step it up.
Below you’ll find some of the steps I took to keep my grades up and the advice I have for all college students when it comes to focusing on your schoolwork:
1. Learn to say NO: For freshman, this is a hard yet vital step. I know you want to go out and meet as many people as you can when you first arrive at college, but that’s exactly how your grades will start to drop. If you have a test at 8 am Friday morning, it's probably not the best idea to go to your local Mexican restaurant on a Thursday night. Be realistic and know when you need to take a step back from socialization to focus on your studies.
2. Plan out your weeks ahead of time: Make a schedule, buy a planner, simply just have everything you have to complete during the week mapped out. This way, when the time comes to making plans with your friends for the weekend, you’ll know whether or not you need to stay in to finish that project or paper you’ve been working on. If you need any more help in this area, check out these 17 tips for successfully organizing your planner!
3. Allow yourself some free time: I know what you’re thinking, this step defeats the whole point of this blog post. However, allowing yourself from free time and giving yourself some breaks in between each of your assignments can prove to be extremely beneficial. I know from personal experience that when I overdo it, I often crash and end up either not being able to finish my work or turning in work that I’m not completely proud of. Don't put too much pressure on yourself and be sure to set some time aside to take those much-needed brain breaks. For more advice, check out this article that includes some really helpful study break tips.
4. Keep in touch with your professors: This is a step that not many would even think about before coming to college. In high school, everyone knows everyone, so you never have to think about whether or not its ok to walk into your teacher’s classroom at a random time of the day to ask them a question about your upcoming assignment. However, in college, things are a bit different. You probably won't have a good realtionship with your professor if you don't make an effort to have one. I’ve found that it’s important to create good relationships with your professors because it shows that you care and are genuinely trying to do well in their class. Show that you’re making an effort by emailing them if you have a question, visiting their office hours, or just staying after class if you just have a quick question or comment about the most recent class period. In need of more suggestions? Check out this aritcle on how to build a good relationship with your professor.
5. Be easy on yourself: While I’ve been giving you a lot of tips on how to crack down and keep your grades up, it’s also important to remember that we are all human. We are all college students are out here, trying our best. While it is important to keep your grades up and maintain a good GPA (as I already mentioned above), it's also important to remember that your GPA doesn’t define you. Remember that your future employer will probably care more about the experiences you've gained and lessons you've learned over your 4 years in college, rather than how high your GPA is.
I really hoped this helped! As we all know, school can be very stressful and overwhelming at times, so as I have already said, don't be too hard on yourself. Also, if you're still on the hunt for some more tips and advice, check out this informative video on study and test taking advice below!
Stay tuned for next week, where I'll be sharing a very helpful infographic. Make sure to subcribe for updates on when I post, so you'll be ther first to see it!
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