Success is a Choice
Mar 26 '01 (Updated Jan 28 '06)
The Bottom Line You can succeed in college if you are willing to make the effort and do the necessary work.
Succeeding in college can sometimes seem difficult. You study to the best of your ability, you stay up late and cram for a test, and you try to stay attentive in class, but sometimes your grades just don’t seem to reflect your efforts. Is there a good reason for this? What can you do to improve your grades?
Before I begin to answer that question, I think I should first talk about the significance of grades. Let me start by saying that grades are not critically important to your personal success! You can succeed without having high grades. I’m not recommending that you slack in your studies, and intentionally neglect your academic performance. I’m just saying that I know plenty of individuals who have high- paying jobs right now, in spite of their dismal academic performance.
Think of your grades as a form of insurance. It can never hurt to have a high grade point average! Your grades can give you the advantage, in some instances. If you’re interviewing for a job with many other students and everyone is pretty much equal, in terms of job experience, your GPA could make all the difference. High grades can also help if you’re planning to go straight from undergraduate to graduate school.
What Can I do to Improve my Performance?:
Here are a few basic tips to improve your overall academic performance and to achieve a respectable GPA:
1. Budgeting Your Time: The most important thing to gain control over, when it comes to college, is your time. You need to establish a schedule and then have the discipline to stick with it. Each day, you should have a certain segment of time that’s set aside to study. You can, and should, allow yourself some social activity and entertainment, but not until your work is completed.
2. Attending Class: I know this sounds obvious, but the fact is that a lot of students skip too many classes. It’s very easy to lose motivation, especially in classes that are required, but that don’t really interest you, like general education requirements. As boring as these classes may seem, they still carry just as much weight (in terms of overall GPA) as any other class, so they cannot be ignored. Missing too many classes can result in losing a full letter grade. How many times have you been taking a class, where your final grade was right on the A- B borderline, or the B- C borderline, and you ended up getting the lower grade? I have had this happen, and I feel confidant that I would have gotten the higher grade, if I had made it a point to attend every class.
If you think that a course is exceptionally difficult, it might be a good idea to bring a cassette recorder to class and tape the lecture. You can then replay the professor’s lecture over and over, which will improve your chances for retaining the information. Also, it's a good idea to talk to your professor, when you get the chance. If an instructor knows you, and can clearly see that you do care about your performance, he/she will be more likely to be a little more lenient and understanding if you're struggling, because they will know that you are at least putting forth a good effort.
3. Deciding on an Appropriate Course Load: For those among us who have to work while we attend college (like me!), you might need to adjust your course load, if things become too stressful. When I was an undergraduate student, I worked about 20 to 30 hours per week. Because of this, I decided to take only four classes per semester, instead of the standard five classes per semester. This added an additional year to my college career, but I think it was the right move to make. The hours spent on the job, coupled with a full- time course load of five classes, proved to be too much. Dropping down to four classes made a big difference.
4. Evaluating Your Own Performance: If you find that you’re doing the best you can, going to most all of your classes, and studying hard, yet your grades are still not satisfactory, then you need to reevaluate your academic situation. Maybe your chosen major is just not interesting enough, and you can’t motivate yourself to study. Or, maybe your chosen college just isn’t giving you the satisfaction that you expect, in your chosen field of study. A change of majors and/or a change of colleges might be in your best interests, if these things hold true.
Final Thoughts:
Success in college can be achieved, if you remember to be disciplined and attend your classes on a regular basis. Don’t throw away your future by taking things too lightly. You don’t necessarily have to have a really high GPA to succeed, but it sure doesn’t hurt! The personal satisfaction that you will get from knowing that you have done your best is worth instilling some discipline in yourself.
For More Educational Reading, Click on the Links Below:
Advice on College Admissions:
Choosing a College or University
How to Help Your Child Choose a College
How to Apply to College
Should I Transfer Schools?
Should I Take Time Off?
Should I Go to Grad School?
Advice on College Life:
College Survival Tips
What is College Really Like?
What I Should Know About Dealing with College Roommates
What Should I Know About Greek Life in College?
What I Should Know About Alcohol Abuse in College
What I Should Know About Spring Break Planning
What Should I Bring to School
How to Manage Your Time
How Should I Deal With Tough Times in School?
How Should I Prepare for Life After Graduation?
Advice on College Finances:
Should I Take a Part Time Job?
How to Pay Off Student Loans
How to Manage Your Budget
How to Negotiate Financial Aid Packages
How to Apply for Financial Aid
Reviews of Test Prep Materials, Services, and “How To”:
800Score.com
How to Take the GMAT
How to Take the GRE
What is the GRE?
Kaplan GMAT On- Line Course
Princeton Review GMAT On- Line Course
Reviews of Specific Universities:
Wright State University
University of Dayton
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