10 Ways to Improve Your Grade
- Attend class faithfully; only a true emergency or crisis should
prevent you from going to class.
- Arrive to class early and stay for the ENTIRE time.
- Pay ATTENTION to what is going on in class and participate to the
extent that you feel comfortable. Talking to your neighbor may
be more fun but it is also quite detrimental to your purpose for being
in class (to learn what you REALLY need to be doing)...
- Do your HomeWork faithfully. Attempting the HW as soon as possible
after class is generally the optimal time (as things encountered in class
will still be fresh in your mind). Once again, only a real emergency
or crisis should delay you from doing the HW assignment(s).
- Figure out the instructor's grading scheme and keep close tabs on your grades,
especially your exam/test scores (as they are generally a good indicator
of how well you are doing).
- Whenever you sense you are having a problem (no matter the size) in keeping up,
GET HELP. The sooner the better, and usually the instructor is your
best resource despite any lack of comfort you may feel in asking him/her
for their help.
- Study for your exams 5-10 days before the exam date. Although it
is very tempting to make a heroic last minute effort to cram, if you are mortal then
your best bet is to break the task of studying into periodic intervals well ahead of
time (which will also relieve you of the "now or never" panic/stress disorder).
- Get to know others in your class; if you feel weak in the subject then you should
try to find someone who does very well -- rather than bond with another person
who is struggling (as typically you will merely reinforce one another's mindset
for rationalizing your present condition versus discovering how to improve it).
- Join or form a study group that meets REGULARLY.
- Make 3" x 5" (or 4" x 6") note cards with important ideas
(formulas, properties, etc.) and carry them with you so that you can
frequently glance at them throughout your day wherever and whenever you have
a spare minute or two.
Last Update: February 24, 2014
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