How to Maintain Good Grades in Your First Year of College

Take your work seriously

Many people step into college expecting their first year to be filled with new people, new
surroundings, parties, and easily passing all their classes with minimal studying. While some of those expectations may be true, they come along with many new challenges. Since college is filled with newly found freedom and fun, it is important to create good study habits to start out your college career with a bang. If you do not take things seriously, you will struggle throughout the remainder of your college career. It is hard to make a comeback from a disappointing grade point average.

Steps to take before classes start

It is important to be aware of admission times and registration when entering college. If not, you could end up not being able to take a class you need because it has reached capacity. Below are a few steps you should take to ensure you are ready for the upcoming year.

1. Apply to your chosen college and wait for acceptance
2. Decide on whether you will be living on or off campus
3. Register as soon as possible to ensure you can take the classes you need
4. Purchase the necessary school supplies that you will need to be successful
5. Attend an orientation to learn more and to meet new people

Freshmen Orientation

Supplies and organization

Being properly prepared for the school year and being organized is vital to the success in your courses. Keeping your work organized helps keep your thoughts and assignments in check. All of the work can sometimes become frustrating and confusing but keeping your assignments together for each class is helpful. When all of your papers are thrown into one folder or binder, you are more than likely to forget to do assignments or even lose them. Below are some school supplies that will be helpful to a successful course.

● Pens (any color)
● Notebook paper
● Multiple highlighters (different colors)
● Pencils
● Index cards
● Calculator
● Computer (preferably a laptop)
● Planner
● Binders
● Folders

Take your time

It is a no brainer that to study, you need to take notes. It is important to make sure that you can read and understand the notes that you take. If your instructor teaches too quickly for you to write neatly, it is beneficial to rewrite your notes at a different time after class. Studies have shown that taking time out of your day to reread over the notes you took that day aids in memorization.

Do not cram everything in the night before

Procrastination is a huge problem among many students. Students tend to wait until the last minute to complete assignments and study. Due dates tend to sneak up on students quicker than most would expect. Procrastinating leads to stress, sloppy work, and low grades. You can easily pass classes if you complete all assignments within a reasonable time period.

It is extremely important to have small study sessions every day before quizzes and tests. Your brain does not retain all of the information when you study for the first time. Small study sessions every day are helpful in remembering information because you are seeing the multiple times. Also, the longer your study sessions are, the less effective they become because you slowly lose focus. Once your focus is lost, you are not efficiently using your time because your brain is not retaining any of the information you are attempting to take in.

Manage your time wisely

One of the top things students struggle with is managing their time. It is hard to find time to get proper sleep, study, do homework, be active, and spend time with friends and family. It is easy to fall behind when you are juggling all of these tasks, but writing down due dates and making a to-do list is beneficial. Make a set time to study for upcoming tests, quizzes, and homework assignments.

A planner is a great tool to use for time management. There are many different kinds and styles available to fit your needs. Spend around five to ten minutes at the beginning of the week to write down your plans for studying and homework for each day of the upcoming week. Try to keep to your schedule, but make minor adjustments as needed as the week goes by.

Be active

One of the absolute most important keys to maintaining good grades is to attend class whether the instructor takes attendance or not. How do you expect to learn if you are not in class? Even if the instructor does not take attendance every class it is important to go because your instructor more than likely will take a mental note of your attendance. If you are not happy with your grade toward the end of the semester, the instructor will take into consideration your attendance and effort throughout the whole course. An instructor is less likely to have the desire to help a student who did not show much effort.

Speak up

It may be intimidating to speak up and contribute to class discussions when you are in a new environment, but it is very helpful in understanding what is going on in class. Do not be afraid to ask questions that you may have either. Your understanding has a higher priority than your fear of sounding dumb in front of your classmates. Most instructors love to answer their students’ questions. After all, that is what they are there for. Many other students could have the same questions and you could be helping them too! If you are actively being involved in class and are still struggling, go speak to your instructor during their office hours.