Getting Good Grades in College - Research Paper Example

Getting Good Grades in College affiliation get excited to join colleges and do the s of their choice, which determine their future career. Good grades measure a persons success in college and measures whether a person is doing well or not (Guide, 2013). There is little information on ways of getting good grades from the college instructors on what one needs to do to acquire excellent grades. As a student in any college, it is a good idea to know how to study in the right way to achieve a set target and graduate with good scores. Success in college is marked by high levels of personal organizational skills, class concentration, and exam handling skills. One way for students to achieve good grades in college is being organized in mind and the way they handle their study activities as asserted by Holschuh & Nist-Olejnik (2011). One way to get organized is by using a student planner here one records all class assignments and utilizes it to keep track of tests and class quizzes, appointments and activities. The other way is breaking down assignments especially the large ones and completing each of the smaller assignments in bits to enhance quality. Doing this will help students to have more focus on the requirements of the assignment and understand whatever they are doing. Doing large assignments at once, exhausts the student and will not produce good results as some of the assignment add to the final grade at the end of the academic period. Another thing is to use the three ring binders for class notes to allow the students to inserts handouts and notes in case one misses a class and copies note from a friend. It is also good to organize and save computer work, and there are backup files in case the computer crashes. The student should also file returned papers, tests, and quizzes in different folder for future revision and maintain a neat study area. If one does not file the past papers used, it will be difficult to do revision for the main exam as some of the questions in it are from the tests done previously. The area should be clean and arranged to create a good study mood with every requirement for that subject. For instance, a student studying mathematics should have things such as mathematical set, mathematical tables, and a calculator within reach. The method in the description helps me to be organized in my mind and to save a lot of time. Being organized assists me to reduce time wastage through unnecessary movements to borrow items needed for a particular subject. Having neat files assists me to keep all my revision papers from past exams, which helps me in revising for any incoming exam. The other thing that helps me most is studying in a neat table as there are fewer disturbances, and I can concentrate fully to do my study rather than when my place is disorganized. An example in my case is when I am revising for my final exams, in which I set my reading area so that everything I need is at my hand’s throw. I make sure I have all the necessary books, papers, instruments such as calculators, enough lighting, and water in case I feel thirsty to avoid unnecessary movements and destructions. College is an institution in which students can do well if they study with all the commitments and follows the lecturers’ instructions. For students to do well in college, they should do every assignment such as homework given by the lecturers and tutors. Successful students must do homework regularly to avoid falling behind. It is also good for a focused student to sit in the front row whenever possible by arriving early to class. According to past research, sitting in the front row is directly proportional to students’ good performance (Hansen, 2015). Students who sit in front regularly attain very good grades than those at the back. The other thing students should do to be successful in class and get good grades is by arriving on time for each scheduled class. Arriving when the instructor is already in class makes it difficult for a late student to concentrate. The tutors may also feel intimidated and demotivated by the students who arrive late for class, which can affect their effectiveness. Another thing for students to succeed in class is by actively participating in the classroom activities such as answering questions, brainstorming, and discussions (Hansen, 2015). Students should not always wait for other students to answer all the questions as they sit quietly and contribute nothing. Whenever faced with a question, concern, or a problem, students should always feel free to contact the instructor for assistance. The action helps in building a good relationship between the student and the instructors enabling the success of the student and finally good grades. Being successful in class has assisted me to have confidence in my studies and achieve good grades in all the subjects. Arriving early for the lectures enables me to sit near the instructor and grab everything that the instructor says. The other thing that makes me successful is actively participating in the classroom activities is by contributing actively to discussions and answering any questions from the instructor. For instance, during the start of a new unit in our class, I always make an effort of arriving very early for the lectures so that I sit in the front row. I then take good notes and listen to the introduction of the topic keenly and ask for clarifications whenever I do not understand the tutors comment or statement. The action has made me achieve my targets of getting high grades in many of my papers. Students who wish to get good grades should have a good start be prepared and have everything they need before starting the test. It is good for a student to write anything that he/she can remember such as dates, equations, facts, and equations at the top of the test (Holschuh & Nist-Olejnik, 2011). The students should also mark the questions to start with and end with to avoid wasting time by starting with the simpler ones. When doing multiple choice questions, the students should try to come up with the answer in their head before looking at the options provided. The students should also read all the choices, evaluate the most appropriate, and correct answer to the questions. Crossing the choices that seem incorrect and choosing the correct one from the remaining options will increase the chances of doing well in the test (Hansen, 2015). The other thing the student should know is how to approach essay questions by starting with the easiest to increase their confidence. The students should brainstorm before starting to write the key words and ideas and any other key points. The student should read the instructions and questions carefully especially for questions requiring true or false answers. The students should also be prepared to open a book test by reading their notes and highlighting the most relevant information concerning the topics covered according to Guide (2013). To help in the location of specific information concerning the lecture topics, the student can use bookmarks. Knowing how to take tests helps me to pass the exams and attain my good grades. First, I always make sure I have everything needed to take the exam or test and start by writing answers to the questions I am familiar with on the paper margins. I also brainstorm and write the key words before embarking on the actual answering of the questions in the test. These actions help me to write correct answers and acquire high grades in all the tests. For example in a history question about the early man, and the use of tools, I first start by listing all the stages of development from the earliest beings to the current species of Homo sapiens. I then identify the development of their limbs from walking in fours to the upright man, which help me identify the time man started using tools using his forelimbs. The steps help me give a correct answer to the question in the test enhancing my success. In conclusion, good grades measure a persons success in college and gauge the ability of a students performance in the exams. One way for students to achieve good grades in college is being organized in mind and the way they handle their study activities. College is an institution in which learners can do well if they study with all the commitments and follow the lecturers’ instructions. Students who wish to get good grades should have a good start be prepared and have everything they need during the exam time. References Guide, P. (2013). 12 Insider Secrets of Getting Good Grades in College. Chegg Blog | College Topics for Students by Students. Retrieved 13 April 2015, from http://blog.chegg.com/2013/03/02/12-insider-secrets-of-getting-good-grades-in-college/ Hansen, D. (2015). MyCollegeSuccessStory.com: 10 Tips for Improving Your Grades. Mycollegesuccessstory.com. Retrieved 13 April 2015, from http://www.mycollegesuccessstory.com/academic-success-tools/tips-for-improving-grades.html Holschuh, J., & Nist-Olejnik, S. (2011). Effective college learning. Boston: Longman. Read More