How to Improve your Grades
- Use the “clean desk” method like they do in large law firms. Organize all your materials then clean your desk off and only have one subject at a time on the desk.
- Organize your study space. Ordered surroundings lead to an ordered mind. Clean up your study room and keep it clean during your study times.
- For most non math subjects use the “three prong” study method. Read the material, write notes and then read those notes aloud. This ritual serves the purpose of transferring the information from short term memory to long term memory. For subjects such as mathematics do every practice problem you can get your hands on then review the answers and go over in the text those parts that are giving you trouble.
- Put away the highlighter. Highlighting doesn’t do much except convince you that you are actually studying when you aren’t. Plus you’ll increase the resale value of the textbook.
- Turn off the TV, put away the Doritos, close the web browser, turn off the phone and focus.
- Quiet your mind by a few minutes of ACTIVE meditation. Don’t just sit there and be sleepy.
- Take regular breaks and stick to that schedule. Ten to fifteen minutes per hour depending on the deadline.
- Prioritize your projects and do them ONE AT A TIME. Do not try to jump around from subject to subject.
- Use all your resources. If you are tanking a subject then find a tutor. See your professor during office hours and ask her what you can do to help your comprehension Don’t wait until the day before the final to do this.
- I don’t care how much weed mellows you out give it up for the two weeks leading to finals. It plays havoc with concentration and memory.
Remember if you are having trouble in one or all of your subjects it is not because you are “dumb”. Dumb people don’t get into college. Even the smartest of us can tank a subject because we lack the background, have different aptitudes or are experiencing emotional problems.
The most common reason students get bad grades is a poor work ethic and bad study habits. Others high on the list are missing classes, labs and assignments and emotional issues such as anxiety and depression and too damn much partying.
Sam.
