How to Improve your Grades and get that 4.0 GPA

So you’ve gone through the worst of it right? Staying up studying for SAT’s, joining clubs to make your resume look top notch, and working a summer job to get that real-world experience everyone keeps talking about. Well sorry to burst that dream bubble of yours but now comes the hardest part of having to do the same thing for yet another four years, all while trying to manage that 4.0 GPA.

I feel like I’m in the perfect position to talk about maintaining a high GPA in college, considering I went from a B and C+ student to straight A’s this fall semester by following some of my favorite tips and tricks. This guide is what I would call a MAJOR life hack so keep on reading to find out how I turned it all around and you definitely can too! 

Study something you’re actually passionate about
Seems super obvious and straightforward right? Of course, I’m going to spend four years of my life and thousands of dollars on a career choice I actually enjoy! Well, from my personal experience I learned your dreams and passions change as you enter into this whole new world we call college. I started as a pharmacy major and let me tell you that was not for me; biology? Gross. Organic chemistry? Snor! But that’s what my parents wanted, and I’ve only ever been exposed to health care careers; I grew up wanting to practice medicine and now two years later I find out I actually hate what I’m doing? Uh oh.

Actually, no it’s not that big of a deal, so what you tried something and it didn’t work out the first time around? You’re in your 20’s, you have a whole lifetime ahead of you, so why not take the time to change your mind while you’re young and dedicate yourself to your true passions? I ended up switching into a marketing major, with a focus in digital marketing, after being a blogger since I was thirteen and let me tell you how dramatically my work ethic changed because of that. I found myself wanting to go to school and enjoying what I would learn; I was captivated in the marketing world and had this intense passion for it, something I knew I would never have had behind a Walgreens pharmacy counter. Choosing such a dream career like marketing and having it cross over with my passion for blogging was a match made in heaven! So please take my word on this and try to find out what you enjoy, not what others want you to enjoy. Give it a go and hey if you start off as a business major but realize you want to work in a courtroom instead then at least you realized it pretty early on, and there’s always room to change your mind. You will see how dramatically your work ethic in college will change if you’re attending classes you’re genuinely interested in and a major you’re fascinated with.

Focus on a healthy lifestyle
Where do I even start with this one? Well, the gym is my new best friend and has been for months now. I know some of you totally cringed reading that, but hear me out on this. I don’t go to the gym to lose weight, however; if that is your goal and you are going to be realistic and healthy about it, by all means, strive for that! But my goal is simply to relieve stress and be healthy overall; the single ab I’ve managed to get is just a plus for me! The gym enables me to blow off steam after my business professor tells my group our financials are wrong, and we need to start our whole presentation over again, or when the girl who never shows up to class ends up having to be my partner. Aside from all the stress relieved by hitting those weights and doing my squats, I find myself wanting to eat healthy and clean and give my body nutrients rather than all that caffeine.

Keep in mind you do not have to go from one to hundred; you do what feels the most comfortable to you! Be realistic about your goals, if you want that Ben and Jerrys in the fridge then go for it, just try to do the tiniest bit of extra cardio next time you hit the gym. Just taking care of yourself on the inside with your food choices and outside with your exercise will put you in a such a healthy mindset, and finding ways to manage stress is strongly correlated with your success in school. Nourishing your body is critical not only for your health but for your mind. I found myself being way more productive and focused now; I don’t feel sluggish and lazy all the time which are usually the side effects of a sedentary lifestyle.

Positivity! Positivity! Positivity!
Once again some of you might read this and think it’s cliche but being positive and having a healthy mental attitude is crucial in college. You will be faced with a lot of stressful situations such as back to back exams, drama with friends, and especially that 8am you promised yourself you’d go to and now completely regret even signing up for. However, a lot of these problems that seem big are pretty small when you look at the overall picture, and it can be less stressful if you approach all your life problems with even a little bit of positivity.

For starters, I started distancing myself from anyone who was drama filled and impacted my life with negativity because I don’t need others bringing me down like that. I now have a small circle of smart and supportive friends which has truly made a difference in how I perceive myself and how I handle certain situations. I then decided if I wanted a better outcome, I needed a better attitude. So instead of saying phrases such as “I’m going to fail this test” or “I hate this course, I hate the teacher” etc. I started thinking to myself “I’m not 100% prepared for this test, so I’m going to stay in this Friday night and make sure I am ready for it.” Even if you don’t get the grade you want don’t self-pity or dwell on it, simply take it as a life lesson and better yourself for next time. The last thing I found very helpful for my mental health were podcasts. I started listening to all these podcasts about self-love and self-care, eliminating toxic relationships in your life and striving to be the best for yourself and not for others. I would even jot down my favorite quotes, and when I’m feeling down I actually read them, and it really helps put things into perspective. Just the simple and obvious task of surrounding yourself with positivity in your everyday life will enable you to reach success on your own terms.

These seemingly obvious, yet somewhat hard to implement lifestyle choices can surprisingly make a difference in your college life and your GPA. Managing your stress well and choosing not to procrastinate on your own is essential to your grades but also to your physical and mental wellbeing at one of the most critical points of your life.

Got some of your own tips to be a straight-A student in college? Leave them in the comments down below!