When you’re struggling with grades, getting A’s can seem like an impossible task: The material is too difficult, the teacher is too tough, and you have too many other activities and responsibilities outside of school that take up your studying time. You might even think negative thoughts about yourself like, “I’m just not smart enough” or “I’m not the type who gets good grades”. However, we’re here to let you in on a secret:
Getting good grades isn’t about being the brainiest student in your school. They’re about discipline and consistency, which are skills anyone can learn.
In this blog, we’ll share some tips to help you reframe your thinking about how to get better grades, begin to improve your test scores, and build a more positive attitude about school and learning.
1. Understand the Grading System 📈
The best way to improve your grades is to be sure you understand what you’re going to be graded on. This sounds obvious when put like that, but you’d be surprised how few students take the time to get clear about their teacher’s expectations. If you find yourself in a guessing game about what to study the night before a test, resolve to find out next time. Ask your teacher during class or during their office hours to be as clear as they can about what you should study, and which chapters of your textbook or materials to focus on. If you begin studying with a clear idea about what you should learn you’ll remove a lot of the stress from studying, which will help you to focus better. You’ll also be more efficient with your time, and may even spend less time preparing for your tests.
2. Set Academic Goals 🎯
Another mistake students make when they set out to improve their grades is forgetting to set goals, or having only vague goals in mind. If you’re not sure what “better grades” looks like to you, how will you know when you achieve them? Whether you’re normally an A student who is struggling in a specific subject (like math!) or you struggle across the board and are looking to improve your grades by going from C’s to B’s, getting clear about what you want to achieve is critical.
Think about an overall goal, and then specific goals in each subject you want to improve in. Consider using the SMART goals system to be sure your goals are measurable (that you’ll know when you meet them), that you can work towards them a little each day, and that they’re realistic for your abilities and the time you can devote to achieving them.
3. Adopt Effective Study Habits 🙇
Another mistake students make when trying to improve their grades is to cram their studying into the night before the test. Not only does this make you feel stressed, but losing out on sleep the night before a test can also affect your performance. Also, it’s wise to remember that your memory needs time and repetition to work at its best. Therefore, the most effective way to study is a little at a time, every day. If you can set aside 15-20 minutes per day to review notes from that day’s class (maybe rewrite them to make them easier to review later!), you’ll have an easier time remembering the material the night before an exam.
You can also ask your teacher for extra homework or study materials if you’re not sure how to fill your daily study time. Remember, one of the best ways to improve your grades is to rely on your teacher. Show them that you’re interested in learning and want to take your grades seriously, and they’ll likely make an extra effort to help you.
4. Learn Time Management ⏰
In keeping with breaking up your studying into small daily sessions, adopting good time management habits is a must when you’re learning how to get better grades. You can make the most of your daily study sessions by having a plan for how you’ll spend each one. For example, you can start with the hardest studying tasks first. This prevents you from procrastinating on the work, and ensures that you understand it later when it’s time to review for a test or exam.
If you’re settling down for a longer study session, be sure that you build breaks into your schedule. You can’t focus for hours at a time, and if you don’t set up time to take breaks, you’ll probably find yourself sneaking breaks by checking your phone or browsing sites on your laptop. Instead, turn off your phone, and make a deal with yourself that you’ll check it in half an hour. Also remember to use your break time to fuel your brain with healthy snacks.
Also as you move into senior high school and university, there will be many more opportunities for fun extracurricular activities, as well as socializing with friends. It’s easy to say yes to so many clubs, sports teams and other organizations, since they’re part of your learning experience and can be as enriching as anything you study in the classroom. However, it’s important to learn to say no sometimes. You won’t have time to do every activity that interests you. If you’ve decided to make improving your grades a priority, be sure you act like it. When you’re asked to do something that will take up your time, think about your study schedule first before you say yes.
For more resources to help you with time management, check out our Student Success Kits.
5. Seek Help 🤝
If you’re having trouble sticking to a study schedule, or feel like you might benefit from additional help, consider hiring a tutor. Tutoring services are flexible, and your tutor can either follow your lead for what you want to focus on in each session, or prepare a curriculum for you to follow based on the material you’re learning in class. Whether you commit to multiple weekly sessions or occasional extra help, studying doesn’t have to look like sitting alone by yourself. If you’re an extroverted person, studying with a tutor can really help you stay engaged as you learn. You can also consider joining a study group of your peers to help you stay focused on your learning.
6. Health and Wellness 👟
While you’re focused on improving your grades, it can be easy to neglect your physical and emotional needs. But wellness is not optional — your health is the most important factor in being a better learner. Check out our blog 7 Practical Tips for How to Deal with Exam Stress to find some excellent advice on taking care of yourself while you’re studying hard.
Supporting your mental wellness while you study is also important. When your grades are falling, it can be easy to slip into bad habits of negative self talk. Instead of lecturing yourself when you receive a bad mark on a test or essay, try thinking of yourself as a good student who is going through a tough time. If you repeat to yourself affirmations like, “I am a person who is committed to learning” or “I am a person who is learning how to succeed in university”, you will begin to change your mindset about school for the better.
As you follow your plan for how to get better grades, remember that you have many allies and supporters. Your friends, your parents, and your tutor all want to offer their support. Also remember that you teachers and professors are your allies, too — they feel better about their own jobs when their students succeed. If you follow the path to stay engaged, and motivate yourself by celebrating your successes along the way, you’ll find that great grades are a matter of having great routines, not something you’re born with. If you’re looking for more motivation, read the story of how our founder Omar Andani changed from a struggling student to an academic success.
