How to earn straight A’s

I hated high school.

For the most part, I thought it was the most useless, stupid thing I could be doing at the time. And my grades reflected it—I got mostly C’s, some B’s, a few A’s and also a few F’s. Needless to say, when I left high school, I wanted nothing to do with college.

This brings me to my first tip: If you want to get straight A’s, don’t go to college until you’re good and ready. You’ll never do well unless you really want to be there.

Eventually, I earned both an associate’s degree and a bachelor’s degree with perfect 4.0 GPAs in only three years and while working part time. Here’s what it takes.

Sit in the front of the class. It’s the first step in getting the instructor to personally know you. You will be more attentive (especially if it’s a huge lecture hall), and you’ll take better notes.

Listen more than write. By listening intently and taking only a few notes as reminders, you’ll form the basis for expanding your notes later in the day.

See if the instructor will review your paper before the deadline. This is especially important if you’re not a good writer. Even if you are a good writer, this step will help you fine-tune your paper and let the instructor know you care about your academics.

Meet deadlines. They’re part of college and life. If you miss them, whether it’s a credit card deadline or enrollment cut-off date, it’ll cause difficulties that will ultimately impact your future.

Plan to study two to three times class time. It’s a simple but accurate equation: If you have lecture or lab three hours a week, allow six to nine hours for studying for that class. This is why taking 15 semester hours is considered attending school full time.

If you do poorly on a test, ask for a retake. Instructors generally understand that the first test of a class can be hard to study for. So if you blew an exam, show them you studied hard but just didn’t know what material to focus on. You’ve got nothing to lose by asking to retake the test.

If you must miss a class, ask what you will miss. This will show your instructors that you’re a sincerely ambitious student. It will also prevent you from having to rely on another student for the info.

Test out of classes. Opportunities abound for those who want to test out of certain requirements. Ask your college advisor about what tests your school recognizes for credit.

Schedule a break in the day. You’ll find that an hour or so break during the day is the perfect time to study, use the library or meet with your advisor.

Register as early as possible. A large part of your success depends on your time management skills. Registering as early as possible will help you control your days.

Switch at the beginning of the semester if a class is not right for you. There is nothing wrong with doing this—you are not giving up, you’re simply moving to a better class choice. Better to put your efforts into a class that fits you rather than struggle through a course that doesn’t.

Overschedule your semester, then drop your least favorite or least needed class. If you’ve got six classes you’re interested in but only time for five, this will help you to figure out the best five. It is easier to overschedule and drop than it is to try adding a class after the semester’s start.

Know the deadline for dropping classes without penalty. Students often get stuck in a class that’s wrong for them simply because they failed to note the drop deadline.

Excerpted with permission from Andrew Chapman’s How to Earn Straight A’s in College, on the Web at www.MaximizeYourGPA.com.

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