Whether it's college or high school, between working part time and maintaining a semi-decent social life, getting A's is a challenge. We all want the perfect GPA, but life makes it a little tough to put in the time and effort that are necessary to accomplish this. This article will provide a list of some of my favorite and most effective ways for getting an A in even the most difficult classes.
1. Highlight All Over The Syllabus
I know what you're thinking. How is this going to help me to get better grades? Well, the syllabus is one of the most handy tools that any college instructor could ever give you. Typically you'll not only find the emails of your professor and TA, but also the exact due dates of homework and projects, as well as important exam dates. Highlight each and every exam date in one color, reading in a second color and homework due dates in an additional color. This may not be a magical secret to getting an A, but the color-coded organization that it will provide for you will definitely help you to keep your life on track throughout the semester. You'll never miss a due date!
2. Index Cards Are Your Friends
If you're like me, and you feel like you don't have enough time to complete your studying at home, making index cards can be one of the most effective methods of studying on the go. Whether you're on the bus, taking a break at work or enjoying a meal with friends, you can keep these mini notes handy for learning everywhere. Pro Tip: If your friends really love you, you can convince them to quiz you on different concepts and terms to ensure that you're optimizing your studying potential.
3. Stay Away From Your Bed
After a long day of work and school, the thought of coming home to your nice warm bed, with it's big soft pillows and comfy blankets seems like the perfect way to spend your evening. Unfortunately, that physics test that you have, two days from now, could care less about your sleeping needs. You think that you can just lie down in your bed with your textbook for a few minutes, but as soon as you do that you'll end up waking up at 7 a.m. the next day with absolutely no idea of what you were supposed to be studying. Moral of the story, don't try to study in your bed. We all think that we can, but the reality of it is that we're just making ourselves more vulnerable to falling asleep.
4. Stock Up On Colored Pens
College requires a lot of note taking, both during and outside of lectures. In my personal experience, taking notes at home can get really boring if you're simply using the same black or blue ballpoint pen. Invest in a $15-20 set of colorful pens to use specifically for taking notes. Use bright, but legible, colors to indicate key points and important terms in the lecture. Draw colorful diagrams to help you remember things! Use your pens and get as creative as you want to with your notes!
5. Pre-Write Lecture Notes At Home
Keeping up with your professor's notes can be really stressful. I find that it's a lot easier to come to class with my powerpoint notes pre-written so that I can use the margins of my paper, and a colorful pen, to keep track of the important things that the professor is saying,
6. If you need help, ask for it.
Teachers aren't mind readers. If you're in a class with 200 or more students, it might be a little difficult for you to ask questions and clarify things during the lecture. Go to office hours. Half the time, teachers are just hanging out during office hours hoping for someone to come ask them for help. Besides, the more one-on-one time you spend with them, the better relationship you can establish with them, which can help you in the future when you need letters of recommendation.
7. Keep Your Body Fueled
As important as school is, sometimes, when we focus too much of our effort on trying to maintain perfect grades we allow other aspects of our life, such as our health, to slip. In order to have a strong mind, it is important to also have a strong, healthy body. Eat your veggies, your carbs and your protein. Also make sure to treat yo self.
8. Form Study Groups
For some students, it's hard to remain productive while studying alone. What's to stop you from checking your phone every 10 minutes for text messages and new Facebook posts. Forming a study group can not only hold you accountable for completing your work, but it also forces you to socialize in a manner that could potentially help you to get clarity on concepts from class that you don't understand. Be sure that you're forming study groups with people who are not only reliable but also those who share similar goals.
9. Keep Your Schedule Packed
Personally, it's a lot easier for me to complete me school work (and any other tasks) when I have everything written out in front of me. Some people prefer to create schedules online, while others prefer to use physical planners. Regardless of whatever method works for you, just make sure that you're recording any appointments, meetings, important dates and tasks, no matter how big or small. Keep yourself organized now and you'll thank yourself by getting and A later.
10. Don't Stress
This is certainly something that's a lot easier said than done. It's college, how could you not stress over small things? Just remember that as much as you might want an A in a class, it's not worth your mental nor physical health to worry yourself sick in order to obtain it. If you ever get to the point where you feel like your mental health is falling through the cracks, make sure to talk to the people who love and care about you because chances are, they'll be able to reassure you.
