We’re partway through the fall semester, which means it’s the perfect time to take stock of your grades across the board – while you still have time to fix anything that isn’t working! If you find that your grades aren’t where you’d like them to be, don’t panic: there’s plenty you can do to boost your grades before the end of the semester.
1. Ask your teacher for a breakdown of all your grades so far
Review your grades carefully! You might discover easy points you can pick up. Did you forget to turn in an assignment or two? Can you turn in corrections or revisions for a paper? A few points here and there can make an immediate difference.
2. Talk to your teachers
In classes where you’re underperforming, it’s always a good idea to check in with your teachers. First and foremost, express gratitude to your teacher and let them know that you’re excited to improve in their class – teachers usually appreciate proactive students. Then, ask them if they can help you identify a few steps toward boosting your grade. Do they offer extra credit? Do they allow students to re-do assessments for partial credit? Just communicating to your teacher that you’re working to do better can go a long way.
3. Ask questions
Don’t be afraid to speak up if there’s something you don’t understand during class. It’s much easier to ask a question of your teacher in the moment than it is to trawl through Google or Quora trying to find a clearer explanation. Not to mention, your teacher will almost certainly appreciate the opportunity to explain a topic in a way that more students might find helpful!
4. Do an audit of your notes
Go through your notes from your target classes, and be honest with yourself: are your notes helping you? Or, when it comes time to prepare for assessments, are you stuck working from a scribbled, confusing mess? If your notes aren’t up to snuff, it’s time to overhaul your system – taking good notes is critical for active listening, comprehension, and retention, and effective note-taking will pay off in spades come exam time.
5. Reach out to a subject tutor or executive functioning coach
An expert subject tutor can help clarify tricky concepts for you while an executive functioning coach will help you develop the studying and organization skills that will carry you through future semesters when the workload increases. Contact us to get started.
