Strategies For Boosting GPA

[IWant2BeADoctor]

What are some strategies that you guys have found that have helped boost your GPA? Is it as simple as studying more or is there more to it than that? Please pick top 3.

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[Instatewaiter]

What are some strategies that you guys have found that have helped boost your GPA? Is it as simple as studying more or is there more to it than that?

First, try going to class. Second study more.

 

[Law2Doc]

What are some strategies that you guys have found that have helped boost your GPA? Is it as simple as studying more or is there more to it than that?

You really need an option for multiple answers -- you aren't going to get far on any one of those alone.

 

[IWant2BeADoctor]

First, try going to class. Second study more.

Going to class was so basic that I forgot to mention it on the poll. It is definitely among the most important factors though. My GPA shot up 1.5 from 1st semester soph to a 3.57 my second semester soph simply because I rarely missed class if at all.

 

[dontwakeme]

Going to class was so basic that I forgot to mention it on the poll. It is definitely among the most important factors though. My GPA shot up 1.5 from 1st semester soph to a 3.57 my second semester soph simply because I rarely missed class if at all.

I've actually found that for some classes (orgo), attending lecture is absolutely necessary whereas for other classes, reading the book is sufficient.

Also, at my school, all of the lecture notes are online so you can basically just look at those for reference.

But, hey, some people learn better from listening/visual stuff. I, on the otherhand, am more of a "teach yourself" kind of person.

 

[gotmeds?]

Adderall

 

[DropkickMurphy]

Ritalin.

 

[Law2Doc]

Ritalin.

Soylent Green.

 

[premeddick]

Soylent Green.

Most of us, including me, are not old enough to remember this 1970's classic. Wikipedia it if you want the story.

My suggestion for improving your GPA is getting more A's. Take easier classes. And get to know the professors. I don't think will directly improve your grade but indirectly it seems that it will help if you have questions or need a letter or want a research job.

 

[sejin8642]

I think the OP should add one more option: cheating.

 

[DrBowtie]

Take easy classes

 

[DropkickMurphy]

Take easy classes

Why do you think I'm doing an "extra" bachelors in RT?

 

[IWant2BeADoctor]

I think the OP should add one more option: cheating.

Not that I haven't ever cheated. But there are serious consequences for it(getting expelled/having an honors violation on your record). At my University there are procters at most exams and they hand out different exam versions...some classes you need to show your school ID before taking an exam.

Sure you can cheat and get a higher GPA. But that will just leave you unprepared for Med school.

Why do you think I'm doing an "extra" bachelors in RT?

What's RT? Hell I might do another one if my GPA doesn't get past 3.4.

 

[MirrorTodd]

I've been on a seriously long dry spell, as such my grades have shot through the roof.

 

[DropkickMurphy]

Not that I haven't ever cheated. But there are serious consequences for it(getting expelled/having an honors violation on your record). At my University there are procters at most exams and they hand out different exam versions...some classes you need to show your school ID before taking an exam.

Sure you can cheat and get a higher GPA. But that will just leave you unprepared for Med school.



What's RT? Hell I might do another one if my GPA doesn't get past 3.4.

Respiratory therapy. It can be challenging at the BS level, because the program I'm going through requires research. It's easy because I've been an RT for several years

 

[stixx]

a healthy balance of drinking/studying does the trick...

seriously though

the people who tend to get good grades are the ones who AREN'T stuck in the library/prof's office 24/7 from the start of the semester....they all freak out/burn out too early

I do end up cramming a lot...but hey if I still get straight As and have fun, so be it.

 

[Stolenspatulas]

KEYS TO SUCCESS:

1. Make friends with someone in the class that takes awesome notes. This means you do not have to go to class.
2. Get those notes the day before the test.
3. Study your brains out (10 hours in a row if need be).

 

[NYyanx28]

I have a 3.98 overall, 4.00 biochem major... go to class and most importantly... review material after each class, keep up with the class material and begin "studying" like two weeks before the test. I emphasize "studying" and not studying, because all you need to do is just become familiar with the material so that you are not cramming.

I have never pulled an all-nighter, I usually stop studying like mid-day on the day prior to tests. It works, try it.

 

[blantant]

community college classes + enjoyable/easy major.

 

[stixx]

Another thing I wanna rant about.

Take. Good. Notes.

I guess I'm the one in my group of friends who everyone borrows notes from...Cuts down on workload ridiculously.

So many times I'll look around in class and people are just staring at the board not writing ****. Why even bother going to class if you're just going to sit there? Even if you think you "understand" it then, you're not going to remember anything 20 minutes after class is over.

Stream of consciousness notes are better than copying down exactly what the prof says. Take a few seconds after every point to think the concept through in your head, and write down what makes sense to you.

You don't have to start studying weeks before...if you have good notes a day or two is usually enough since you're not spending time searching through textbooks etc.

 

[Law2Doc]

Most of us, including me, are not old enough to remember this 1970's classic. Wikipedia it if you want the story.

You needn't have seen it in the original -- I sure didn't. There's an amazing thing out there called DVD. Youth is no excuse for not being exposed to the classics.

 

[munnabhai]

It always irks me when people say that they skip class and use friends' notes. Isn't the whole point of going to school to learn? Im not being a naive idealistic bastard but I've found that my grades turned out a lot better when I stopped trying to get by on the minimum possible work. Regardless my GPA is really bad right now (at least by SDN standards).

I say this: "Stop caring about getting 1 SD higher than the mean... just go for perfection. And go to as many classes as possible, work hard, and get to know your prof."
Prove to yourself that you deserve the grade you got and dont freeload off of another good soul. In the end you have to be proud of your performance - a 98 you worked hard for and a 89.6 the guy next to you got by borrowing notes and skipping class will come out the same on your transcript (if you arent on +/- system) but who will feel more pride when they look at their transcript?

/rant

sorry

 

[DropkickMurphy]

Soylent Green.

At my old school, that's what we called the human resources and student employment. They had a habit of recycling people.

 

[docbens]

My freshman year didn't go to well I fixed is by 1st going to class, 2nd getting 8 hours of sleep a night, and 3rd not sleeping in class because I got enough sleep the night before.

I also made some good friends that were in alot of my classes, it helped to have some people to study with when you don't want to, and it is amazing how people who were in the same lecutre can get such different notes and what not.

 

[armybound]

I learned to
1) actually go to class
2) actually read for class
3) actually study for class
4) start studying EARLIER and more often

and my grades went up more than .5 GPA points per semester.

 

[DuckHunter]

What are some strategies that you guys have found that have helped boost your GPA? Is it as simple as studying more or is there more to it than that? Please pick top 3.

Study while you take dumps. That's an extra ten minnutes each day to gain knowledge.

 

[DropkickMurphy]

Study while you take dumps. That's an extra ten minnutes each day to gain knowledge.

That would take away from my SDN posting time..... Ah....the beauty of wireless

 

[MWK]

I went from a 3.3 cumulative (not much flux) to a 4.0 last semester doing a few things:

1. Get off the bottle. Getting schmammered doesnt really clear your mind. Go have a drink or two after the exam, not 12.

2. Especially in classes like O-chem and heavy duty bio, read before the class. I know thats what you're supposed to do, but if you can get ahead of the teacher while they are working problems, then thats like an extra 50 minutes of study for you.

Now all my B's had been within 1.5 or less points from the A range, but this easily bumped me up 5-7% in every class.

Just get ahead, stay on top of things and lay off of EtOH.

 

[FemalesCANTDriv]

I love how to number one way to get a higher GPA isn't on here. How about 1) MAKE As IN YOUR CLASSES!

 

[TMP-SMX]

I don't think studying more has anything to do with it. Do the work that is required, pay attention in class, and use the system. By the time you are a senior you should know how to excel in humanities/non-science classes by showing interest or talking with the professor. As for the sciences, pay very close attention. A lot of times notes are useless if the professor goes by the book, so pay attention. Study the book very closely by reading through it. I find that reading weeks before the test doesn't work for me since I forget it after so long. I tend to read all of it the week before and often the last few days before the test. Of course this is not recommended if you have a lot of other things to do in that time frame.

With biology, a lot of it is repeated in every class so you should have the basics down. So all that is required is to read the book and know the details. That's why it's not really needed to read in advance until prior to the test.

For med school this isn't recommended because there is way too much to know and far too little time.

 

[Law2Doc]

That would take away from my SDN posting time..... Ah....the beauty of wireless

Or bedpans.

 

[CAS97209]

Make sure to not load up your schedule with a bunch of hard courses at once. Pick 1 or 2 hard courses and have the rest of your couses be easy ones so that you can concentrate on the hard courses.