Getting good grades in college opens a lot of doors for you in the future. Graduating with honors looks great on your resume and tells employers you know the material from your degree program. To get good grades you need to: plan ahead, communicate with your professors, get organized, manage your time and commit to school. If you do this, you may find your GPA improves dramatically.
Planning Ahead
Before starting classes, take a look at your life and make realistic assessments of the amount of time you can devote to school. Then, determine how many classes you take each semester or session. Plan to spend an hour of at-home study for every hour you spend in a classroom. For example, if you have a three credit class, you spend three hours in the classroom every week, and you should plan to spend at least three hours studying at home.
Communicate
Going to college while also working and raising a family takes dedication, and there are times when your goals will conflict. Explain your situation to your advisors and they can help you choose a course load that is right for you. Once you are enrolled in classes, talk with your professors and make sure they are on board to work with you to get the grades you want.
Get Organized
Turning in all of your assignments on time, while working around a busy family life and job schedule, can be a real challenge, especially when you cannot find your notes or need to ask a classmate about an assignment. Get and stay organized, so you can find the notes you need, when you need them.
Manage your Time
As part of getting organized, you also need to manage your time carefully. Set aside blocks of time to work on different assignments. If you find yourself consistently taking longer to finish assignments in a specific subject, be prepared to set aside additional time for that class, and seek help from your professor or find out if there is a lab available. Many subjects and areas of study have labs available as a resource for students. If you have trouble with math, for example, attend learning labs or instructor labs where knowledgeable staff will be on hand to help walk you through course content.
Commit
Getting good grades comes down to your level of commitment. All of the effort you put in to school is returned in the form of a degree and top grades. Commitment does not just mean spending your scheduled time on schoolwork; it also means making adjustments to put school first, when possible. Your family always tops the list, but you must be willing to put aside social activities in favor of writing a paper. You must be able to decide whether or not a school play that your ten year-old is in or a term paper you have due is more important. Making time for family events is crucial to your long term success, but when you have a choice directly between a fun family event and a mandatory assignment, the assignment must come first.
Time is the biggest ingredient in the recipe for getting good grades in college. Planning ahead helps you make realistic judgments about the time you have to spend on school. Organization helps you perform tasks once, rather than leaving you flailing to recreate notes. Managing your time keeps you focused on your studies. Your time commitment directly affects your grades. Be prepared to put in as many hours as you need, and you will hopefully graduate with a top GPA.