How do you get a 4.0 GPA?

[Optimus Lime]

Serious question. Right now, I just finished my associates degree and I'm transferring to a state university in a few weeks. So, my GPA "refreshes" once I transfer.

I will be going into my 3rd year, which is also the year that medical school adcoms weigh the most heavily (right?). Right now, my cumulative GPA is a 3.3, which is really bad.

My science GPA is even worse. 2.4. I know that's bad, I don't need clarification on that. I didn't try my best and I had ****ty study habits. My study habits are corrected now, but they're still not up to par for a 4.0, especially considering my classes will get much harder.

Even if I were to go back in time and restart my associates degree with my current study habits, I'd estimate that my cumulative GPA would be roughly 3.7 to 3.8, there were a few classes that just seemed like an A was impossible for me no matter what (chemistry, for example).

Note that I have never had a 4.0 semester in my life... Maybe I'm just not smart enough, but there's only one way to find out. I'll give it my all for the remainder of my undergraduate career.

I've only failed two classes before. Not science classes. I didn't learn much in high school, which is a big contributing factor to my poor performance thus far.

Please reply with real experiences and such. If you've never had a 4.0 gpa, don't just tell me to "work harder." Be specific. How should I work harder? What should I do? Why or what motivates you guys to do so well in school?

Thanks for reading. muah 😍

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Cinclus]

You have to eat, sleep, and poop school. Study 'til you drop. A little luck never hurts, either. Fear of failure is a great motivator. I might be bad at giving advice, but I was good at getting A's. But seriously, figure out how you learn and study best, and then do a crapton of it.

 

[Rumalum]

I didn't try my best and I had ****ty study habits.
...
I didn't learn much in high school, which is a big contributing factor to my poor performance thus far.
...
How should I work harder? What should I do? Why or what motivates you guys to do so well in school?

you could start by growing up

 

[Goobs]

Personally my 4.0s all came in my last year when I was taking exclusively bio classes. I think your interest in the subject plays a big role so try to look for something you like in a class to keep you motivated.

 

[typicalindian]

It requires one to get straight A's

 

[Mr Kenobi]

Use the force.

 

[Yonko Shanks]

Use the force.

 

[lobo.solo]

Motivation is something very personal... I think about the [personal] reasons why I want to go into medicine and that keeps me going. A specific thing will be to learn how to love learning different things in different classes, make the subject matter relevant to your life and your goals. I know this is something hard, but as physician, you will continue learning different stuff all the time, so you have to love learning...

 

[Mr Kenobi]

 

[Praefectus]

Keep in mind that your AMCAS GPA won't "refresh" and will count your CC grades.

 

[Poetic Silence]

Tape a $100 bill under your test when you turn it in to your professor.

Works for me.

 

[gmcguitar4]

Just make sure you don't take like some type of expressive dance/art class.

Besides that..just use really good time management. I got 4.0 my last 2 semesters after worked out a schedule. I still went out all the time and was in a band, but just used every minute of my time during the day for school work.

 

[Optimus Lime]

Keep in mind that your AMCAS GPA won't "refresh" and will count your CC grades.

I know, that's what I meant by the quotations. 😉

 

[GomerPyle]

This will help.

Build good relationships with your professors. You want them to remember your name at the end of the semester when they are assigning grades - and trust me, this works. Even in a class that has 150-200 students, the professor goes through each student's grade one by one. If he runs into your name, and remembers that you consistently participated in class, asked him questions, emailed him frequently with questions, etc. than you will most likely get that extra bump.

Worked for me 🙂 I used email every week, bugged the crap out of them haha.

This also helps you get good recommendation letters in the long run.

 

[maaza1]

As everyone as already reminded you it's impossible for you to get a 4.0 or even close. Those two F's are going to follow you because the AMCAS doesn't do grade forgiveness. They'll average the grades if you retake. DO replaces retakes though (I think?). The best you can do now is get straight A's at University so Adcoms know you are able to excel at the University level as compared to CC, and you had better have a good excuse for those failed classes because they might come up during your possible interview. I'm in the same boat as you I got two D's in CC and now I'm starting University with my AS try to correct my wrongs good luck man!

 

[snorlax]

I think it's more about the environment you're in, rather than how much you study, that enables one to do well in school. If you are in a quiet and organized study environment, you will get more out of your studying.

 

[Narmerguy]

A 4.0 is sometimes out of your control. I know you're point is simply to aim high, but I hope no one is killing themselves trying to raise their GPA from a 3.93 to a 4.0 or something. Sometimes you just get a professor who is hellbent on not giving A's, or maybe you're just in a class that has your number.

Obviously do your best, but be healthy. Some people take this stuff way too far over some tiny difference.

 

[Optimus Lime]

Thanks for the replies so far everyone.

How many hours a day should I aim to study? (To clarify, by studying I simply mean spending any time on school material outside of class, homework counts as studying for definition reasons in this thread)
I'm thinking 3ish.

And per week?
I'm thinking 20 to 40.

How do you guys typically study?

Do all the homework once, and then review your notes for maybe an hour a day? Compiling relevant material into a condensed and precise format on a study sheet(s), is my plan so far. Notecards for rote memorization. Reading material and highlighting important concepts as I read it the first time, and then condensing it into a study sheet(s). For formulaic classes, doing a ton of practice problems upon finishing homework and having a study sheet.

 

[BigBlueBear]

My recipe for a 4.0 was to pray that my tests were spread out over the semester (i.e. all my classes didn't have a midterm on the same day) and then way until the day before, and cram the **** out of the info.

Everybody says cramming is "oh such a terrible way to learn." And they're right--I forgot it all within a week. But I destroyed the tests 😉

 

[lobo.solo]

A 4.0 is sometimes out of your control. I know you're point is simply to aim high, but I hope no one is killing themselves trying to raise their GPA from a 3.93 to a 4.0 or something. Sometimes you just get a professor who is hellbent on not giving A's, or maybe you're just in a class that has your number.

Obviously do your best, but be healthy. Some people take this stuff way too far over some tiny difference.

Jejeje, I've been doing it all wrong since I've been killing myself 🙂

 

[ShenanigansMD]

Word on the street it's this new drug, Provigil:

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/provigil-secret-success/story?id=16788001#.UAiSSLS4-jQ

 

[HoltMD]

It's 99% luck, 1% sebaceous secretion.😀

 

[ChairmanCK]

Serious question. Right now, I just finished my associates degree and I'm transferring to a state university in a few weeks. So, my GPA "refreshes" once I transfer.

I will be going into my 3rd year, which is also the year that medical school adcoms weigh the most heavily (right?). Right now, my cumulative GPA is a 3.3, which is really bad.

My science GPA is even worse. 2.4. I know that's bad, I don't need clarification on that. I didn't try my best and I had ****ty study habits. My study habits are corrected now, but they're still not up to par for a 4.0, especially considering my classes will get much harder.

Even if I were to go back in time and restart my associates degree with my current study habits, I'd estimate that my cumulative GPA would be roughly 3.7 to 3.8, there were a few classes that just seemed like an A was impossible for me no matter what (chemistry, for example).

Note that I have never had a 4.0 semester in my life... Maybe I'm just not smart enough, but there's only one way to find out. I'll give it my all for the remainder of my undergraduate career.

I've only failed two classes before. Not science classes. I didn't learn much in high school, which is a big contributing factor to my poor performance thus far.

Please reply with real experiences and such. If you've never had a 4.0 gpa, don't just tell me to "work harder." Be specific. How should I work harder? What should I do? Why or what motivates you guys to do so well in school?

Thanks for reading. muah 😍

It's actually easy, you sit down with the course material and don't get up until you either understand it or memorize it, usually whichever comes first. 12 hour school days become the norm.

 

[Icy Snow]

My recipe for a 4.0 was to pray that my tests were spread out over the semester (i.e. all my classes didn't have a midterm on the same day) and then way until the day before, and cram the **** out of the info.

Everybody says cramming is "oh such a terrible way to learn." And they're right--I forgot it all within a week. But I destroyed the tests 😉

+1

Able to finish junior and senior year with a 4.0 using this strategy.

 

[lovemango]

Serious question. Right now, I just finished my associates degree and I'm transferring to a state university in a few weeks. So, my GPA "refreshes" once I transfer.

I will be going into my 3rd year, which is also the year that medical school adcoms weigh the most heavily (right?). Right now, my cumulative GPA is a 3.3, which is really bad.

FYI, your GPA may "refresh" for the purposes of GPA calculation at your university, but you are required to enter ALL classes/grades you've ever taken on AMCAS/TMDSAS. So those grades still count.

I graduated with a 4.0 GPA last year and it was freaking hard. I was a psychology major, but I also took all the premed prereqs and then some, including genetics, cell bio, etc. Honestly, a lot of it is prioritizing your activities and time management. I was not someone who studied all day long - I did extracurriculars/community service and I still made time to go out with my boyfriend or friends and watch TV when I needed a breather.

But I developed really good study habits early on, which definitely helped: I tried to skim the chapter in the textbook the day before the lecture if I had time, reread the chapter after the lecture, and then compiled my lecture notes + reading notes together. Continuously review your notes and do practice problems if applicable, like in ochem; spacing things out always worked better for me than cramming the night before.

 

[Mojo8427]

Word on the street it's this new drug, Provigil:

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/provigil-secret-success/story?id=16788001#.UAiSSLS4-jQ

I took this in Afghanistan for long missions where I had to be completely "there". Definitely effective.

 

[Demon]

Spend all free time in the library studying. Workout/food breaks are acceptable.

 

[SnowyRox]

Productive studying only.

I have friends who spend "10 hours a day studying".... but would be posting on facebook and surfing forums. I would study far less than them, but learn more because I was more focused.

Best method for me? Bring my books and a notebook to the library. Study. Get up every 30 minutes to grab a drink and stretch my legs. Then sit back down again and study. Turn off your phone. Don't bring friends. Leave your computer at home. This is the way to a 4.0 gpa WITHOUT it sucking up all of your time. Study productively for 2-4 hours/day and you should be fine.

You may also need to revisit your test-taking strategy. Nerves can block your best performance. Meditation. Prayer. Whatever works.

 

[rolliespring]

I think one thing very important is to always stay in contact with your professors and talk to them once you think you have a problem. Basically grades are given out by them, so why not talk to them 🙂
Also for study advice, try to preview the materials before the lecture, I think it worked for me a lot. You want to be really familiar with the things that you're getting tested on.

 

[Morsetlis]

Get a helpful boy/girlfriend.

Learn to watch lecture videos at 2x speed.

 

[iforget2]

I found a quiet spot in the library where I can just sit and study for hours for whatever I need. I usually only do this before tests but you can do it more. The point is to find your "happy place" where you can focus on studying. Also, I've found that professors play a gigantic role in your grades. If you go to a larger university, you have a bigger selections of professors that teach the same course and you can always look at how students feel about them and how they grade and choose your professors based on that

 

[PSiloveU2013]

Studying strategies depend on the class and material. For example,
Chem is something I worked at every day doing practice problems and then would cram 4-5 days before the exam by doing like 10 old tests. On the other hand, in anatomy I would CRAM before the lab practicals and lecture exams (usually day before).
Another tip is to remember that every little assignment counts. I've missed an A in a class by 2 points for uploading an assignment instead of copying and pasting it into the assignment drop box. So, try your best on every assignment even if it seems minuscule because it could push you over to an A or close enough so that your prof will bump you up because he/she noticed your efforts.

 

[fabriciusj89]

Get a helpful boy/girlfriend.

Learn to watch lecture videos at 2x speed.

I used to do this too! Your professors sound super squeaky the first time but it saves a ton of time and reinforces what you learned in class (or what you missed if you werent in class)!

My girlfriend was an awesome artist and I used to make her draw me zoology flashcards- totally helpful since mine would have been stick figure anatomy haha