Tips on How to Boost Your GPA

By Victoria Robertson on November 18, 2019

It’s no secret that college isn’t easy. In fact, if you’re doing poorly in a single class, it can have major repercussions on your GPA. Many students study hard and complete all their assignments, but still find themselves with a grade that’s pulling down their GPA.

In other cases, students simply struggle to complete assignments on time or to score highly on a test. For these reasons, there are a variety of ways in which you can boost your GPA in time for the end of the semester.

Below are six tips on how to boost your GPA.

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1. Ask for Extra Credit

While there are some classrooms in which extra credit is not available, there are also classrooms in which it is, so it never hurts to ask. When your grades are slipping, it’s important that you understand all the options that are available to you.

Speak with your professor to find out if extra credit is available to you, and make sure to complete whatever assignment is necessary if it is.

2. Complete Optional Assignments

There are some professors that will assign optional assignments (such as readings) throughout the semester. If your grades are slipping, you should always be completing these optional assignments.

While it can certainly feel tedious at the time, optional assignments are a great way to get a deeper understanding of the content, which can help you later on when tests and quizzes pop up. Basically, if you’re having a hard time understanding the content, these optional assignments can help give you that boost that you need, so you should always take advantage of them.

3. Ask for Help

Whether you are asking a classmate, a roommate, a parent or even your professor, asking for help is never a sign of weakness. If you’re doing poorly in a class, it’s likely because you don’t understand the content in the way it’s being presented to you.

This isn’t a bad thing, it just means you may need to work a little harder than others. In these cases, you should always ask someone to help you understand the content. You should ask someone you feel comfortable with, but that will also be able to work with you to help you understand the content in full.

4. Join Study Groups

Students typically don’t want to join them, but study groups are a great way to learn content that you may not have picked up on in class. Study groups are typically students in the same class that want a better understanding of the content prior to a test, which can never hurt.

Ask around in class and see when study groups meet, or ask your professor if they have any study sessions set up outside of class. If so, you’ll definitely want to be in attendance if you’re looking to boost your GPA.

5. Keep a Detailed Schedule

Another reason that students have a hard time boosting their GPA is because they don’t turn in their assignments on time, or potentially miss assignments here and there. To avoid this pitfall, make sure you keep a detailed calendar of all assignments.

Basically, if you have an assignment, you should already have a good idea of when it’s due and how long it’s going to take you to complete it. In addition, you’ll want to ensure that, on that day, you are prepared in class, assignment with you. If you’re someone that frequently misses deadlines, make sure to complete the assignment before it’s due and turn it in early.

6. Ask Your Professor

Last, but definitely not least, you should always be asking your professor for help when you aren’t doing well in their class. At the very least, they could set up private tutoring sessions with you, or invite you to office hours a few times a week.

In addition, they may offer alternative assignments to help you bring up your GPA. If you show your professor that you genuinely care about your grades and that you’re willing to work to bring them up, they are likely going to work with you to do so.

Again, no one pretends that college is easy because it isn’t. When it comes down to it, you need to keep your grades, and therefore your GPA, as high as possible. While you should always be doing everything you can in this regard, such as completing your assignments on time, you should also be taking advantage of any other methods through which you can boost your GPA.

While the above six tips are a good starting point, you’ll also want to take a look at alternative methods of boosting your GPA. Because, when it comes down to it, if you can raise your GPA, you should do whatever it takes to do so.

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