Three Easy Ways to Improve Your Grades Before the Semester Ends

It’s that time of the semester. The now or never hour. The make it or break it time. By this time of the term, you may be holding tight to your laptop, doing all kinds of math to see what your options are. You are likely terrified. Would I pass? How can I get good grades in my exams? Would my grade be good enough to apply for grad school? How can I increase my GPA? How do you even study for a test? What am I going to say when I go home for the Holidays and aunt Matilda asks how school is going? Am I going to make it out of this semester alive? We’ve all been there: way behind in a class, scared s!#less and praying for a miracle.

Turns out, it doesn’t have to be that way. In fact, after twenty years of teaching college students, I’ve learned that no matter what your major is or what classes you are taking, success is always possible. Even in the hardest classes. I have taught some of the most difficult subjects out there, like Pharmacology and Pathophysiology. I’ve seen brilliant students flop and not-so-great students make it through nicely. Doing well in school is not about being “smart.” It’s about knowing yourself and working with the tools that you have available. That’s why I decided to share my top three pieces of advice on how to do better in school. I’ve taught these tricks to many students and they make a big change in their academic lives.

1. Stress is the real enemy.

We like to think that some classes are harder and others are easier. Sometimes is the subject, sometimes is the teacher, but we like to blame some external factor for how difficult the class feels. But the truth is the only thing that makes a difference is our own perception of the subject. If you decide that the class is hard, it will be hard. If you decide that the class is manageable and you can do it, then you will successfully complete it.

Most of the time what makes us decide if the class will be hard or not is the teacher. If the professor is kind and smiles a lot, we decide “I can do this.” On the other hand, if the teacher seems to always be in a bad mood, your brain cowards in a corner, shaking and hoping they won’t notice you. But in the end, the class is the same. If you can separate your feelings for the professor from the content of the class, you will be able to handle it just fine. If separating your feelings of anxiety from your classes is difficult for you, I can teach you how to get a grip on your emotions and become a great student in my online program.

2. Be realistic about the amount of time you dedicate to your studies.

I hear it all the time “but I spend so much time studying, I’m always studying, why am I not making any progress.” If this sounds like you, then you need to revise how and when are you spending that study time.

Are you counting time when you are babysitting as study time? Is one thing to sit and read while a baby is sleeping (assuming you are not exhausted too), and another one to sit with your laptop on your legs while being constantly interrupted by cries or children’s fights.

Or maybe you designate daytime to study when you really are a night owl. This is a common misconception especially among students who are still in their late teens. People that age tend to be more awake at night, but because we are socially trained to work during the day and chill at night, they waste their hours of most awareness. Instead, maybe you should chill during the day, take naps, attend classes that are not too early, and sit to study at night when you are the most alert.

Study time is not about designating a hundred hours in your calendar that you never fulfill. It’s about selecting a specific time every day when you are rested, in a place where you will not be interrupted. Turn off your social media and other distractions and sit with your notes. Thirty minutes of rested, intense focus are way more productive than three hours of fumbling around, getting yourself tired, and not making much progress.

3. Sleep is your best friend.

Yes, you read that correctly. Sleep is a student’s best friend. People in college love to go around boasting about pulling all-nighters, but in fact, that is just a common misconception. Lack of sleep deeply affects your ability to retain information. In fact, studies have shown that taking a nap after a hardcore meeting makes corporate executives more productive. The same goes for studying: make sure you always have a good night’s sleep and take frequent breaks to allow your brain to cool down and consolidate the information you just learned. In the evenings, measure yourself and study only while your brain is still accepting information. If you keep going after being too tired, you risk confusing what you already processed. Continuing past that point will only get you stressed out and agitated when you start to not understand anymore. Plan your study sessions with enough time and above all avoid cramming.

If there is a student in your life that could use some help, please share this article with them.

And if you or a student you care for need help turning this semester around, I’m launching a presale of my online program Effective Study Habits: Transforming Anxiety into Success. The low price will run only for a short time so don’t miss it!