13 TIPS FOR A 4.0 GPA
Why Should You Listen to Me?
In early high school, I felt like I had to choose between having friends and good grades. I forsook A’s for the late night gossip and drama. But after a hilarious accident involving my entire year thinking I had the best grades in school, I realized I didn’t need to accept the limitations I had placed on myself- I could be an all rounder ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
ACADEMICS: Top grades, consistent 4.0 GPA, Dean’s List- you name it, I got it.
EXTRACURRICULARS: An active member of three on-campus organizations, have leadership roles and contribute to meaningful projects WHILE attaining phenomenal grades.
VOLUNTEERING: I dedicate time to do volunteer work, giving back to the community and gaining valuable experiences.
SOCIAL LIFE: I have a social life!!! I’m in a strong and supportive friend group while continuing to study hard.
HOBBIES: Despite my busy schedule, I still had enough time to watch the entirety of one-piece and other shows, paint AND be in 2 choirs.
I’ve learned how to excel academically while “living my best life” at college through impeccable time management and a balanced approach to college life. I’m excited to share my tips and experiences to help you succeed too! Now let’s get into it!!!
#1 Know What You Want
- Make a SHORT list of what you want out of your college experience. Maybe 5 or 6 in order of priority
- Mine were:
- Make friends
- A cumulative 4.0 GPA
- Join a Christian organization
- Join 3 academic clubs
- Get a job
- Play a sport
- This list is important because it determines what you should focus on during each semester at school. In the first weeks of school when classes weren’t so crazy, I focused on making friends and getting to know my community as an international student, which helped me out quite a lot in the long run.
- When classes started getting more intense, I already had a pretty solid friend group, which was THE BEST.
- Try to Reach the rest of your goals ONE AT A TIME in your spare time and you’ll be just fine. Sometimes you may feel overwhelmed, but just remember you CAN do this, you can exceed the expectation you have set for yourself 🙂
#2 Loosely Plan Out an Academic Calendar
- Get a calendar. I currently use my university app calendar as well as Outlook calendar. But I also recommend Notion, Google Calendar and pretty much any calendar that sends you reminders about your set tasks or events. Then, fit in your classes and exams to you calendar.
- The number of credit hours your taking, double it, and that is the amount of time you need to set aside for studying and homework per week. If you’re taking 15 credit hours, then set aside 30 hours per week.
- Now, this is where it gets a bit tough: go through the syllabus for each of you classes and find when your weekly HomeWorks are due. Then put that in your calendar and set reminders 1 or 2 days before the due date to remind you to start the homework.
- Tip 1: Some homework takes longer than others, so you may have to adjust your calendar throughout the semester.
- Tip 2: Aim for 100% on your homework. It significantly boosts your overall grade AND prepares you for exams. In college, homework can be up to 30% of your grade. Think about it, If you study hard and get a 40/40 on you exams but get a 12/30 on you homework, you’re grades are gonna take a huge nose dive. Takes a bit of time but its worth it!
#3 Set High Goals for Exams
- I like walking into exams aiming for a 150% I know it sounds a bit strange but this mindset kept me striving for excellence. If I aim for a 100 it feel inevitable to get less than that, so I aim for a 150. Aim for the stars fall on the moon mentality 🙂
#4 Clarify Doubts Promptly
- Tip: If you don’t understand something, get help from your teacher immediately. This ensures you are fully prepared for tests and exams.
- Tip: Do NOT be afraid to raise your hand in class to ask questions: it’s easier to overcome the fear of raising your hands when you sit at the from of the class!
#5 Take Advantage of Extra Credit
- Tip: Always do extra credit work. It can make a big difference in your final grade and make taking exams a lot feel less stressful (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧
#6 Plan Your Study Schedule
- Personal Experience: I started studying three weeks before exams. This gave me ample time to understand the material and feel confident. Some people starter earlier or later but I found that this worked best for me and my not-so-great memory.
- I go more in-depth in my How To Plan your Study Guide post 🙂
#7 Prioritize Sleep Daily and Before Exams
- Tip: Get at least 7-8 hours of sleep before an exam. There are so many benefits to being well rested! Less anxiety, easier recall of information, improves your mood, plus you wont risk sleeping during the exam!
- Do not, I repeat, DO NOT down energy drinks before your exam or while you study. It does not help with studying, that is a myth. Your brain still remains too tired to absorb information but now instead of being able to go to sleep and fix that, you’re wide awake for hours!
#8 Early Morning Revision
- Routine: On exam days, wake up early and spend an hour reviewing notes or practice papers. This reinforces your knowledge and calms your nerves.
#9 Attend Every Class
- Going to class may just me one of the best things you can do to make your life easier. You have to study a LOT less than you would if you didn’t go to class and you get to have important hints and tips from the teacher about what’s going to be on exams and quizzes.
- The truth is, some teachers are just terrible and going to their class may do more harm than good. You may even leave class more confused than when you came in. In such cases, skipping class is an option. HOWEVER, go through your syllabus and find out your teachers policies on class attendance just to be on the safe side 🙂
- Advice: Try to never miss a class. If you do, contact your professor and catch up on missed work as soon as possible!
# 10 Join Study Groups and Attend Reviews
- Tip: If you have extra time, attend study sessions or group reviews. These can provide new insights and reinforce your understanding.
- Sometimes, teachers words just don’t do it for you and you may need a little help when it comes to comprehending certain topics. Joining a study group or peer-learning group could change everything for you.
#11 Take Breaks
- Don’t over-exert yourself! Remember college is very unique part of your life, you supposed to have fun. Once you start feeling tired when you’re supposed to be excited and driven, you need a break.
- Tip: Take regular breaks during study sessions to avoid getting burnt out.
#12 Study Effectively
- Personal Method: Depending on the course, I read the textbook and solved end-of-chapter problems. This solidified my understanding and prepared me for exams.
- Different courses have different effective study methods. Math for me requires lots and lots of practice problems and less textbook reading. Drawing class requires more YouTube videos, etc.
- I’d say you should figure out what works for you in the first weeks of school, but if your past that, its not too late. As you study, meta-think about your studying and ask yourself these questions: Am I understanding what I’m studying? Is this the fastest method for studying? Can I easily recall this information? If the answer is yes, you’ve got your effective study method!
#13 Stay Calm During Exams
- Sometimes, exams can get overwhelming. There are times when I open my exam paper and my brain goes blank. Those moment can trigger panic, which only makes things worse. So, I figured out a way to stay calm during exams: fill out you name and all the necessary information and when the exam proctor says to start writing don’t turn the page immediately because in those moments is when the anxiety usually starts. Instead, count to 10 or 15 and when you feel better, turn the page and begin.
- If my method doesn’t work for you it’s important that you find something that does.
Sign Off:
Go easy on yourself! College should be fun, but it can also be chaotic, overwhelming and stressful. Create your own unique experience and find what works for you.
Remember, expectations are made to be exceeded, and limitations are meant to be tackled.
Stay Blessed,
Edidiong C.
Creating My Autobiography 