Everyone wants to have a high grade point average, but most people think that doing well takes a lot of effort. Regardless of whether you are in school or college, working hard is the best way to achieve it. But luckily, there are several strategies that will help you increase your grades without much effort.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Strategize for Better Grades
Step 1. Develop a strategy
Start working now, so you don't find yourself in a difficult situation later. Your goal should be to build a solid foundation in all classes during the first week and not waste a lot of time in one class to keep your grades between B + and A-. Then start pushing yourself harder in the classes where you have lower grades in order to bring them up to a comfortable position near 95%.
Participate in all activities with additional credits whenever possible and raise your marks to rank A +. In this way, the last few weeks you can focus mainly on projects and maybe skip some tasks, if your grades are very high
Step 2. Understand your school's grading system
Find out what your school's method of calculating your GPA is, if there are weighted averages for honors classes, what grades appear on your transcript, the maximum percentages for each letter grade, and anything else that could affect your final grades.. Grading is a game that all students play, and the more you become familiar with the rules, the better results you will get.
Step 3. Make the first week meaningful
First impressions are the most important thing for teachers, so make sure they know you for something positive.
If your teacher starts the year thinking that you are polite, respectful, and hardworking, they will be kinder to you and more considerate when grading your work. It is much easier to make a good first impression than to set a bad one
Step 4. Ask questions and volunteer to answer your teacher's questions
You must learn the art of appearing intelligence and preparation. It is always easier to appear smart and prepared than it is to actually be. Try to remember something that you consider relevant to the topic you are dealing with in class. Usually, the teacher will acknowledge your intervention and then give you clues to the answer they were looking for.
- This method has two advantages. First, the teacher will believe that you are paying attention in class and second, they will think that you are capable of formulating your own opinions and will grade your work with more leniency.
- Teachers love participating students and sometimes change grades entirely. Grades are not rigid: teachers can manipulate an F for an A or vice versa, and although their changes are rarely that drastic, everything counts.
Step 5. Don't be afraid to collaborate or ask for help
Ask your teachers, parents, and classmates to explain things you may not have understood. It's easier to ask them than to spend more time trying to figure out the answer on your own.
Get to school early to ask for help. If your teacher offers to help you outside of school, accept it. Even if you have difficulties with the material in class, but you make him see that you are dedicated, he will be more willing to give you a good grade
Step 6. Recognize when a task is a fill job
In order to truly understand it, you must try to think like your teacher. Teachers are people too. Outside of class they are just as busy as you (or maybe a lot more). Also remember that for each page of homework you do, the teacher must grade it and that is a lot to correct if you consider that it could have 100 students. There is no way to rate everything thoroughly. If you follow the steps above, your teacher will probably think highly of you and will not review your work as carefully. You can be very sure that a task is a filler job if:
- Homework is a worksheet.
- You see the teacher grading the exact same assignments and spending less than a minute on each one before placing a grade.
Step 7. Get organized and use your time efficiently
Organize your work in your mind and on a calendar. Don't miss deadlines as late assignments often deduct points. Don't lose points because you couldn't keep up with assignments.
Handle fill jobs efficiently. These should take the same time it takes your teacher to grade them. If there is an article with questions, the answers will often be found in order in the article. Read each question and then give the article a quick read to find the answers. When it comes to opinion questions, you don't need to ponder the answer. Just make something that sounds good. Many students already know how to handle filler jobs, but for others it takes practice. You will save a lot of time once you get the hang of it
Step 8. Improve your writing
This step is optional, but it will decrease your work significantly. Try a style that is both readable and fast. Your teacher doesn't grade you based on your handwriting, and clear writing takes valuable time, especially when doing filler work.
Step 9. If possible, consider taking difficult classes
This might seem counterproductive if you're trying to get high marks with very little effort, but learning how to perform well in difficult classes will teach you to excel in easy classes.
A program with difficult courses will look great when you apply to college, and after a while you will enjoy the challenge. Don't forget that these strategies are effective for almost any class, including difficult ones
Method 2 of 4: Doing Homework and Writing Essays
Step 1. Pay attention in class
While it's tempting to text or sleep in class (especially if it's a lecture), don't. This brings you two benefits: first, you will eliminate the time you spend at home to learn the information from scratch and you will improve in the exams because you will know exactly what the teacher wants you to know. In conclusion, paying attention is the key.
Step 2. Take active notes
As you write, really think about what the teacher is saying and put it down in your own words. If possible, connect the ideas with something fun so you don't forget them (this is called mnemonics).
Step 3. Do your homework
Homework is likely to be the easiest point to earn throughout the year. That doesn't mean you have to put in hours each night; better take advantage of the time at the end of the classes.
- Focus on one task at a time. The first thing you have to solve are the worksheets since they are the ones that require the least time. Then do the ones that are broken up into separate parts (like math homework). This way you can work a few minutes at the end of several classes without wasting your time trying to find your place.
- Eliminate distractions. When you don't really want to do homework, but it needs to be done, get rid of the things that usually divert your attention. Turn off the TV. Put your cell phone in another room. Log out of your social networks. Lock yourself in a room.
Step 4. Prioritize most of your work based on how hard your teacher is when grading
Do the assignments that you know they will review carefully first, and do a good job so that you develop trust with the teacher. Then do all the tasks that they won't review in such detail without worrying too much about quality. Just make sure your writing relates to the topic and looks long and detailed. If you don't have time to do some unimportant tasks, do them quickly and make sure you complete them. Teachers highly value effort and will appreciate it if they see you doing your homework and the easiest way to get an A is by making your teacher happy.
Step 5. Learn to write essays
Separate into sections what you need to complete the task. Read the assignment. Do the necessary research. Summarize your essay. Write it down and then edit it.
- Don't waste a lot of time thinking about what to write and just do it. Do any pre-writing work that you need to turn in after you've written the essay to save time. If you make it very long, the teacher will most likely only read half of it. Therefore, you have two options: write it very short and excellent or very long and with several errors. After trying several times, you will realize how easy and fast it is to write essays to perfection with half the proofreading you used to do.
- Use a dictionary to avoid being redundant and vary the structure of the sentences.
Method 3 of 4: Study for Exams
Step 1. Don't study until homework is done
Even if you are very stressed about a test, think about the differences between studying and doing homework.
- Take advantage of the homework to study for your exam. Most of the time, the assignment contains the key points required for the exam.
- When your teacher leaves you homework, he also assigns them a certain score. If you comply with them, you get the points and if not, you lose them. Your teacher doesn't give you points for studying, but for the exam. If this one is difficult, no matter how hard you've studied, you could still get a bad grade. Therefore, you will need the help of the points you earn for doing the tasks.
Step 2. Study little by little, over time
Don't let it all pile up. Your brain will retain information much better if you memorize it little by little. Studying at the last minute is useful in the short term, but if you hope to retain the information for the entire semester, it is better to study for an extended period of time.
Step 3. Don't cheat
The risks greatly outweigh the rewards.
Step 4. Relax before exams
Take a nap, exercise, listen to music, etc. Above all, calm down. The last thing you should do is get nervous right before taking a test. This way you won't be able to concentrate. Even if you haven't studied anything, chances are you will get a good result if you paid attention in class. If you stress too much, your mind will go blank and you will end up on a worse grade.
Step 5. Eat a peppermint during the test
Studies have shown that peppermint improves memory.
Method 4 of 4: Develop a Successful Lifestyle
Step 1. Find a way to motivate yourself
Allow yourself to do something fun after completing an assignment, succeeding on a test, or writing a great essay. If you are motivated to work, you will be able to focus more.
Step 2. Have a good breakfast
If you don't feel hungry at the start of the day, you will focus better in class and on your homework.
Step 3. Sleep well
Who doesn't like to stay up late to watch TV, play video games, or talk on the phone? However, lack of sleep can seriously affect your ability to be successful.
Step 4. Take practical steps to stay in school
These could include:
- Get an annual medical exam.
- Get a flu shot.
- Look for alternative ways to get to the school in case you miss your bus or your usual transportation.