Planning
Daily. Planner. Book. The best $15 I’ve ever spent. I use this to visually plan out my day. As soon as you get an assignment, write it down. Plan out your classes, when you can study, when you can do work and when you have leisure time. This also helps if you tend to work best with a “goal achieving” mindset. If your goal is to have assignment x done by tomorrow, write it down in your planner so you can visually see that. Once you completed the assignment you’ll feel more accomplished.
Studying/library
This one may be a little obvious, but you need to STUDY! Coming from a high school where minimal work was required to pass classes, I now find myself struggling with studying. I found that it’s easiest for me to read the material ahead of time and go back and reread or look over notes throughout the semester, not just the night before a big exam. Being easily distracted is one of my biggest weaknesses when it comes to school. To prevent being distracted while studying, I’ll go to the library, find a cubby to sit at alone and put all my devices on do not disturb.
Office hours
Although this may be very nerve wracking for some people, going to your professor’s office hours is much more beneficial thank you think. I started going to talk to my professors during their office hours and it has helped me and my grades tremendously. When I receive a bad grade or a grade lower than I was expecting I go and ask why. When I have questions on homework or assignments I go and ask as soon as possible. This shows you care about the course and your grade and professors appreciate that and will be more willing to help you and work with you. This will also help build your relationship with the professor which could lead to a good recommendation letter or a networking opportunity you may need later down the road!
Powering down
Like I do while studying, I like to “power down” during class as well as before I go to bed. Being on your phone and laptop while in class can get you easily distracted or take away from your ability to focus on what you’re supposed to be doing in class. While the advantages of today’s technology are awesome, note taking electronically might not be the best option for you. I found that printing out the lecture slides and writing note on them helped me learn better and focus more than when I would take notes on my laptop. Powering down before bed was something I also implemented in my every-day routine. I like to turn my computer off and stay off my phone and allow myself time to relax and do a face mask or paint my nails. This lets me reflect on my day and prepare for the next day.
Sleep schedule
Freshman year I didn’t know how to manage my time properly, so I would end up staying awake until 5 am trying to finish my homework. My sleepiness lead to me being not able to focus in class and not being able to retain information as well. Aside from my grades, my skin and my health suffered from my bad sleeping schedule as well. Sophomore year I decided to implement an 8-hours-a-night sleeping schedule. This improved not only my grades tremendously, but my health, my skin, my mood and my ability to function like a normal person throughout the day! Everybody is different, so I suggest you try different sleeping different amounts of hours and see what works for you, but most people need 7-9 hours a night.
It is never too late to take charge of your grades!