5 Tips for Pulling Your Grades out of the Gutter

Your confidence can easily take a dive as soon as your grades start to slip. If you’re in over your head academically, it’s important to get help as soon as you can. Then, as you work on improving your grades, consider how you can change your habits so that you don’t lose all the new progress that you’ve made.

Here are my tips for turning your grades around for once and for all:

1. Minimize social distractions 

Being around the wrong entourage can be a liability to your grade-point average. If you want to be a highly respected person with a hugely successful academic career, and your friends want to be the life of the party every day, it could be difficult for you to focus on your grades. Make sure you surround yourself with individuals who have a similar mindset and are focused on their academic success.

2. Keep your eye on the prize

Creating a list of goals or vision board is a powerful way to hit your targets. In his book Goals, author Brian Tracy explains that those who write down their goals are more likely to hit them. Decide on short-term and long-term goals that will motivate you, such as getting an A in every class or to obtain an advanced degree. One of my goals is to earn my Ph.D.. It motivates me to read class materials before they are assigned and keeps me focused on my future.

3. Have a plan

Setting an agenda is essential for success. An agenda is a resolute, detailed plan that holds you accountable to the goals you set for yourself. For example, if you want to get an A in every class, you could decide to go to the library for two hours each day, or to see a tutor every Friday at 3 p.m. Some smartphone apps can even send you reminders of the upcoming responsibilities and activities you scheduled, which is very convenient.

4. Go the extra mile

If you want to thrive in college, not just survive, then you’ll have to put in a little extra effort. Perhaps you are given several reading assignments at the beginning of the semester. If you really want to be top of your class, you won’t stop there. Read trade magazines to learn more about your industry, or start attending networking and career events at your campus to get a head start on your job search. You’ll benefit academically and professionally by making the most of the resources available to you.

5. Get to know your professors

Your professors want you to be successful, and they’ll make themselves available to you if you need extra help. You can learn a lot from talking with the professors who have experience in your desired field, and you could glean insights that will help you succeed both in and out of the classroom. Another valuable relationship to nurture is the one you have with your tutors. They can help you tackle assignments and subjects that you struggle with and direct you to other resources that will help you improve your grades.