How to Get Better Grades for College Students – 5 Tips for Improving Study Skills
Are you happy with your college grades — or do you want more A’s? These tips for improving study skills will help college students get better grades. Because, of course, the higher the grades, the happier the college student!
Before the tips, a quip:
“…chance favors only the prepared mind.” ~ Louis Pasteur.
The more prepared you are for your exams and essays and projects, my friends, the luckier you’ll be — and the higher your grades will be, too! If you want to get serious about earning A’s, read Becoming A Master Student
How to Get Better Grades for College Students – 5 Tips for Improving Study Skills
1. Put a time limit on the hardest tasks. If you don’t like a certain subject in school or can’t force yourself to work through math formulas, promise yourself you’ll only study for 30 minutes or an hour. Set aside just that amount of time, and reward yourself afterwards with something you love (with either a school subject you enjoy, or a healthy activity — not chocolate bon bons in front of the TV!). If you struggle with procrastination, read 5 Ways to End Procrastination for College Students.
2. Let yourself do write a poor essay or draw a confusing chemistry diagram. Go ahead: create a boring power point presentation, draw a mispresentative representational chart, or write a stupid poem. If you want to get better grades in college, you have to let go of your perfectionist tendencies. Lower your standards at the beginning of your study session, when you’re struggling to get the job done. Then once you get the dreck out of your system and the basics down, you can fine-tune your diagram or chart and edit your essay.
3. Savor your past academic accomplishments. Remember those academic goals you achieved — that exam you aced, the speech you got an “A” on, or project that everyone loved? To improve your study skills and get better grades, stop and savor those victorious feelings! Picture yourself feeling those same feelings same when you’re done studying for this exam or writing this essay. Simply enjoying your amazing academic accomplishments can motivate you to study harder and longer in your current college courses.
3. Work with your natural rhythms. To get better grades in college, do the “hardest” work when you’re least tired. This can mean studying before lunch if you’re a morning person, or studying mid-afternoon if you’re a night owl. Studying or doing homework when you’re tired is much more difficult than when you’re fresh – especially if it’s for a class or subject you dread.
5. Break the big assignments down. If you have to write a 10 page essay, break it down into small sections. If you have a huge final exam to study for, break the material down into several mini-tests. Separating huge tasks into several smaller ones is a great way to improve your study skills -– and it’ll boost your confidence, too!
If you’re a freshman, you might find Tips for Surviving College for New Students helpful.
If you’re an adult learner, read 7 Success Tips for Mature College Students.
Do you have questions or thoughts on how to get better grades for college students? Please comment below…
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