10 Powerful Tips for Overcoming Bad Grades
- James Trigg
- Feb 22, 2021
- 7 min read
Are you trying to recover from a slump of bad grades? Or do you just find it hard to maintain good grades?
Are you trying to get good grades this semester?
Perhaps you're one of those people who would love to get amazing final grades at the end of the semester. Or maybe you're in danger of flunking and need to recover. Or you could be somewhere in between.
Regardless of where you fall, these tips have something for everyone trying to get through school.
1. Just Do the Work
It seems like a no-brainer but it is amazing how many people I’ve seen that put little effort in doing all the work that is assigned to them. I’m not saying you have to excel at every single assignment. Some assignments you may do poorly on. But even if you consistently turn in low-quality work, your grade will still be much better off than if you had not handed in those assignments at all and got zeroes.
But if you want to get an A in your class, put in an effort to turn in quality work. You can seldom do quality work by working on the assignment 15 minutes before class starts. Make sure to start the assignment when you’ll have plenty of time to work on it. That way, if you encounter a question or a problem that stumps you, you’ll have time to ask the teacher or seek help on it.
If the teacher is okay with it, I also recommend working on homework in groups. With more than one head working on the same assignment, it’ll be easier and faster.
As a side note, some assignments that you are given may be papers, which is a whole different issue altogether. I plan to write a post in the future just focusing only on the details of writing a good paper.
2. Time Management
It seems the older you get, the harder it is to properly manage your time, especially once you enter college. Good time management isn’t just necessary for good grades, it’s also necessary for keeping your stress level low. Once you get behind on your assignments, and deadlines start approaching, you’re gonna feel it. The further behind you get, the harder it’s going to be to pass the course.
Of course, there are ways for a student to develop good time management habits. Your first step should be eliminating time wasters. Time wasters could be anything from spending too much time checking social media to spending too much time texting or aimlessly browsing the web.
If you find you have an issue along these lines, set a goal to not engage in those time wasters during dedicated study time. If you honestly feel that you don’t have the self-discipline to do this by yourself, I recommend studying with friends. Just make sure those friends are people who will motivate you to achieve and not friends that will get you into more procrastination.
If you find time management or procrastination is a huge issue for you, I recommend these articles for further reading.
3. Be Smart About the Classes You Take
Sometimes, whether or not you do well depends on what kind of class it is. It’s good for a class to be somewhat challenging, but there may be cases in which the subject of the class or the expectations of the teacher are more than what you can meet. Perhaps you take a class with a teacher with a style of teaching that does not work for you. Or maybe the teacher assumes you know more about the subject than you actually do. Or the nature of the class is confusing and hard to understand (all of these have happened to me before. I totally get it!)
I highly recommend making sure you know who the teacher is before you take the class. If it is a teacher that you already know doesn’t mesh well with your learning style, then I would avoid the class or switch to a different one, even if the class is on a subject I like.
However, there may also be cases where you need to take a certain class, and you can’t get out of it (I’ve been there too). If the teaching style of this class is not helping you at all, and you are still very lost, there are still ways to pass the class with an A, which I will cover in the next section.
4. Seek Outside Help if the Need Arises
In an ideal situation, everything that you need to pass the class should be the teacher, your textbooks, and your notes. But you may find yourself in a class with an incredibly hard subject and the teacher might not clear anything up for you at all, and at times, even makes things more confusing.
I’ve been in a situation like that, and the solution that worked for me is to seek outside help. If the teacher is not helping you understand the subject at all, then find an outside resource that is more suited to your learning style. The library and the internet can be really good resources for this.
The only reason I was able to pass my first accounting class with an A is because I relied on books I checked out from the library that made the material so much clearer for me than the teacher ever could (in fact, after a while, I completely tuned out the professor’s three hour lectures because they hurt more than they helped).
If you’re not a reader, there are a lot of videos on YouTube dedicated to academic subjects. Substitute your teacher’s unhelpful lectures with videos that make the subject more clear, and you’ll do well.
If you can’t find a helpful book or a helpful video at all, and you’re truly stuck in this class, then I would recommend finding a tutor. Many schools as well as libraries have tutoring programs available, and if they don’t, it is not too hard to find a tutor online, though having help from an online tutor often costs money, so I’d check to see if a free tutor is available at the school or the library first.
5. Ace that Final
Most classes tend to have a final of some sort, such as a final exam or a final project. More often than not, that final project is worth way more points than the regular assignments. This can be a good thing for people who are struggling with their assignments because if they can ace that final, it has the potential to bring their grade up really high.
On the flip side, the final also has the potential to bring your grade down low. So make sure you plan for that final and are prepared to take it and excel on it.
I find this resource helpful in learning how to prepare for and ace a final
stlawu.edu/academic-support/how-should-i-prepare-tests-and-final-exams
Some classes, instead of a typical final, may assign a paper instead. The tips to doing well on a paper are different and are too long for this post, so I will include all of that information in a future post.
6. Work With Your Teacher
I’ve seen cases where people’s grades have dropped not because their academic work was bad but because they simply failed to communicate with their teacher when the need arises. I’ve been guilty of this myself and have regretted it.
There are times when it is necessary to touch base with the teacher about your situation. More than likely, the teacher will be willing to work with you to help you succeed despite whatever unique situation you’ll find yourself in. The worst thing to do if you find yourself in a difficult situation is to leave your teacher in the dark about it, because you may end up getting a lower grade as a result of the teacher’s ignorance of the situation.
7. Attendance is Important
It’s simple. If you’re not going to class, it’s likely hurting your grade. So go to class. Most classes have attendance grades, so it’s in your best interest to attend as much as possible.
8. Pay Attention to Extra Credit/Late Credit
Some teachers allow students to increase their grades by turning in late assignments or extra credit assignments. I wouldn’t rely solely on these, but if your grade is lower than you’d like and you need an extra boost to your grade, I would recommend asking the teacher if they allow extra credit or late work, and to take advantage of it if the teacher does allow it.
9. Become a Good Test Taker
Not all classes have tests but most do. Tests usually are worth more points than the average assignment, and as I mentioned earlier, sometimes the final is also a test.
Getting good grades on tests can really help boost your overall grade. The key to studying for tests depends on your personal style. Some study better in a group. Others study better alone. Some study better with music in the background. Others need silence.
The important thing is to make enough time to study. Cramming at the last minute does little good. If you have a busy life and time is an issue, you might want to get creative. One thing I do when time is tight is copy and paste my study notes onto a narrator app on my phone, plug in my earphones, and listen to my study notes while I'm in the car or while I'm sleeping (the @Voice app on Google play is great for this).
Here's another study tip. Don't study from the textbook. Study from the assignments the teacher gives. Assignments almost always have questions or problems that are going to be on the test. If your teacher doesn't give you assignments, study your notes. But never study from the textbook or else you'll be taking in a lot of material that may not even be on the test.
10. Stay Healthy
Yes, staying healthy is very helpful for your grades. Make a habit to eat nutritious, balanced, and varied meals because it gives your brain the fuel it needs to be productive.
Exercise frequently so you’ll have the energy you need to do your work. Take the preventive steps necessary to avoid getting sick, as that makes completing school work more complicated (even more so during a pandemic, where you’ll have to self-quarantine if you catch Covid.)
Get plenty of sleep as well. The amount of sleep you need to be able to operate efficiently may differ from other people so make sure you get the amount of sleep that works for you and try to keep your sleep schedule consistent.
If, for whatever reason, you cannot get enough sleep at night, then try taking naps in the daytime, or else do something invigorating (like an outside jog) before diving into your studies. Or, the unhealthier solution would be to just rely on coffee to get through the day. I would prefer you get enough sleep, though.
Are you ready for good grades? With these tips, good grades are guaranteed. But if you still have questions, feel free to ask them. I'll be happy to respond.
James, your blog is absolutely awesome. I can't wait to read more!
Great advice!