Daily Habits That Will Boost Your GPA | 12 Daily Habits to Boost GPA You Need To Use
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This post is about daily habits to boost your GPA.
If you’re a freshman in college, classes and a routine are new to you. Honestly, I had no idea what I was getting in to. First semester I was in a major that didn’t play to my strengths very well, and my grades immediately tanked.
Starting college is stressful enough, you don’t need bad grades adding to that stress. Second semester I turned it around, changed my major, and got my priorities straight. My grades were awesome, and I finally had a daily routine that kept my grades this way.
In this post I put all of my tips and tricks together, and explain how I integrate them all into my already busy schedule. This new approach to second semester worked for me, and I bet it will for you, too!
Here’s 12 daily habits to boost your GPA.
DAILY HABITS TO BOOST GPA
1. USE GOOGLE CALENDAR
This is the biggest and best tip I can give you. Google calendar is seriously a life changer for me. If you have a lot of stuff going on, keeping a calendar has to be a priority.
To see exactly how I use google calendar, and how you can too, read this post:
RELATED: HOW TO USE GOOGLE CALENDAR
2. COMBINE GOOGLE CALENDAR WITH A PLANNER
Alongside google calendar, I use an Erin Condren planner. I only fill this out weekly, and I write down everything I have to do under a specific category.
For example, if I have “blog” scheduled in my google calendar, I’ll write down the specific blog tasks I need to complete in my planner. This way I always have a goal to work towards.
To get your own Erin Condren planner, I recommend heading right over to their website. I use the vertical lifeplanner opposed to the academic planner, since I have more than just school going on. I found the extra space in the lifeplanner to be useful for me.
3. REDO CLASS NOTES AFTER CLASS
In class, odds are the notes you use get super unorganized. The professor may add stuff, or you’ll write down something that you didn’t mean to. Either way, redoing your notes after class is a great way to review what was taught in that class and give you a chance to organize your notes. You’ll also retain the information taught in class much better using this study method.
When finals come around, organized notes are key to success. Keep the same organization pattern and style of notes throughout the semester, and you’ll know exactly what to study for finals.
4. READ NOTES BEFORE BED
Looking over notes is an absolute must-have habit. It might seem time consuming and unnecessary, but it really isn’t. Most of college grades are based off of tests and papers, so therefore test and papers need to be highest on your list of priorities.
Studying notes every day is a great way to get a head start on memorizing and truly learning what is going to be on the upcoming test. You’ll be surprised how much one bad test grade can bring you down.
5. QUIZLET
Quizlet is an amazing tool! The studying style of using flashcards in general is a great method, but making it electronic makes it that much more convenient.
When you’re redoing your notes from class, go ahead and make your own flashcards in quizlet. This gets you in the habit of making them every day, and you never have a huge amount to do in one sitting.
I like to study my flashcards at least once a day, and a great time to do that is in between classes on your phone or while you’re eating lunch.
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6. TAKE OPPORTUNITIES TO GET AHEAD
At the beginning of the semester, you’ll have some opportunities to get ahead in your studying.
Read ahead, watch future powerpoints, whatever it may be. Take these opportunities! Things get crazy in the semester really fast and you won’t have another chance to get ahead.
7. PICK A PRODUCTIVE ENVIRONMENT
When you get to college, it’ll seem like everyone likes to study in groups. This sounds like it’s fun, but if you’re easily distracted this doesn’t go so well.
I found that when I was simply working on rewriting class notes or doing less mentally strenuous schoolwork, I was able to study in groups. Otherwise, I needed to be by myself or in a quiet room!
8. USE OUTSIDE SOURCES
You’ll quickly realize that the professor most often does not go over everything in class that is in the book or asked on the test. After the first test, you’ll get a feel for what the teacher is going to cover compared to what they are going to ask
Until this point, make sure you know everything in the book and everything covered in class. This is the point when things get hard, and if something isn’t explained thoroughly in class you could be at a loss. Use outside sources! See if there’s a tutoring video, watch youtube videos, ask friends.. whatever you need to do.
You’re never limited to just your teacher and your book, and make sure you always remember to utilize the world around you.
9. ASK FOR HELP!
Alongside utilizing all outside resources, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Your TA’s are literally paid (with your tuition) to solely help you. Use this! You won’t look dumb, and this is the best way to not waste time trying to learn it on your own. You’ll learn it correctly from the beginning.
10. PRIORITIZE ACCORDING TO DUE DATE
This was something that was hard for me to get the hang of, but it was necessary. If I had a huge paper coming up, I would put almost all my time and effort into that paper and forget about keeping up with notes or putting the effort into other assignments that I usually would.
Prioritize with what’s due first, and make sure that you start big assignments or projects far enough in advance. This way you’ll never have to pick between the assignment that’s due tomorrow or the paper that’s due in two days.
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12. NO DISTRACTIONS
This is another hard one. A lot of people listen to music when they’re studying, but make sure even that isn’t a distraction for you. Silence your phone, and even use an app to keep you off of other apps if you need to. Do whatever you need to do to make sure that you are as focused as possible.