How to Earn Great Grades in College

When I started college, my high school left me with the impression that the hard part was over, and all I really needed to do was "get out" of college; not earn stellar grades, but work hard, maintain a decent GPA, and move on to my career. College is harder, I was told, and students shouldn't expect perfect grades. It's the nature of the beast.

While that may be true for some classes and majors, it was really a horrible sentiment to share, and it did a number on my confidence. I entered college thinking I'd be pulling Cs instead of my usual high scores, and that my classmates would be brilliant. Although my work effort never diminished, I didn't expect as much from myself, and basically embraced mediocrity. After a few quarters, though, I learned that earning good grades in college was certainly challenging, but well within reach. Higher education is a big shift from the high school way of learning, and it definitely take adaptation, but with some dedication and confidence, a high GPA attainable.

A quick disclaimer: every school is different, and some have incredibly stringent grading standards. I've heard of colleges that rarely hand out As. Curving, campus policies, and the major you choose will all determine the difficulty of actually earning that coveted letter grade. The tactics below apply primarily to general education classes but are certainly applicable to any college course. More finite major classes usually have much heavier project requirements and often require students to go above and beyond what I'll share today. Even those situations, however, require that students have a strong foundation upon which to excel. That foundation involves a few simple ideas that can help you get the most out of classes--and hopefully the best grade.

Show Up!
You can't and won't learn the material if you don't attend class. Period. I've had professors that post all their notes and presentations online and could have easily skipped out on class and taken notes on my own, but that's not the point of college. You can't do your job by staying at home and listening in on conference calls in your pajamas. Not only do you miss context, but professors pretty much always elaborate on their presentations. My class notes are typically twice as long as the professor's powerpoint.

Furthermore, the whole point of attending college is to learn, and the professor's job is to teach and explain difficult concepts. What's on the powerpoint is static and dry; the professor's job is to illustrate the material and ensure that students actually understand it. That kind of instruction can only be had by attending class.

Take Good Notes
Simple, right? Nothing I've noted yet has been the least bit revolutionary. Develop good note taking habits early and you'll be set for your college career. Shorthand may come in handy for fast-moving professors, but if you do decide to utilize some form of this, make sure you can read and understand your notes later.

Some students are better at simply listening and may record lectures; either way, don't leave class without some form of documentation of what just happened over the past two or three hours. I can pretty much guarantee that you won't remember every definition and formula when the final rolls around ten weeks later if you don't have notes.

Eliminate distractions! That means turning your cellphone/laptop/iPod off and keeping it off. If you're messing around on a device in class, you might as well have stayed home. It's very easy to find a funny article online, become engrossed in it, and realize ten minutes later that you have no idea what the professor's droning on about. Those ten minutes could have had valuable information for next week's exam. If you must take notes on a laptop, use a system that fills the whole screen, or be diligent about opening only Word and keeping Facebook closed.

Read
Again, basic stuff. Not only should you do all the assigned reading, but you should do so in a timely manner. I never understand why students put off their reading until exams roll around and then complain about having to read four textbooks in their entirety. Reading a chapter or two a week not only isn't really that time consuming, but it helps you understand the class material better. Plus, any questions the material raises can be addressed while the topic is relevant.

Complete Assignments
If you don't complete your assignments/projects/homework, you won't get a good grade. High school classes typically had lots of filler work, participation points, and in-class assignments to pad your grade, but in college final scores are often based on one or two exams and your assignments. Commit yourself to producing quality work and getting everything in on time. Much of the work you produce in college can be used as work samples for trying to get a job later, so really make an effort to ensure that what you turn in represents you fully.

Study
Everyone studies differently. Some thrive on buzzing places like coffee shops while others must retreat to the furthest confines of their school's library. It really doesn't matter how you study as long as you establish a rhythm and do it often. This may mean going over your notes and skimming the reading at the end of each week or more thorough sessions before exams. Try to commit at least an hour a week to each class for extra study time beyond the readings and outside work.

Attend Office Hours
You may cringe at the thought of more time with your professor, but it's basically free tutoring. Whether you have questions, don't understand a concept, or need guidance on the class, professors should make themselves available to assist students outside of class hours. Take advantage of this opportunity! Not only will it help you earn a better grade by helping you grasp the material, but it will show your commitment to the professor. Plus, developing relationships with faculty members can come in handy if you need to get into a later class or require a reference when searching for a job.

Take Exams Seriously
As I mentioned earlier, exams can often account for the majority (or entirety) of your grade. Quizzes are harder to come by in college, and that means you really have to study hard for midterms and finals to ensure you earn a good grade in the class. This is where everything comes together: use your study habits to go over the notes and readings, attend office hours for additional help, and rely on the quality of your assignments to back up your exam score.

Be Commited
As with anything in life, you have to want something to earn it. If you approach college as four more years of pain to endure, you won't earn good grades. If, however, you apply yourself and take every opportunity to further your education and really understand the material presented, high scores are sure to follow.

Remember also that GPA isn't everything. I would rather earn average grades in tough classes that I really have to apply myself in and get something out of than get inflated grades in easy classes. The whole point of university is to learn and grow, and that often entails struggle. Perfection may not be attainable, but if you shoot for it, excellence will follow.