Academic Achievement – 10 Tips To Keep It

Last Updated on March 27, 2024.

Congrats on earning your GED diploma and even more on making it into the college you applied to! Now, you can work toward a degree and the career you’ve been dreaming about. Isn’t that something?!

This is a time of important steps in your life. You’ll be independent, you’ll have the opportunity to enjoy college life (with all its challenges…), and you’ll be free. But keep in mind that freedom comes with responsibilities.

In college, keeping your academic achievement is crucial, not only for academic success but also to make sure your federal student aid will not be in jeopardy.

If you’ll manage to get good grades at midterms, you will be eager to maintain this achievement until the end of the semester and next semester, right?

However, if your grades are not that great, then you have to try harder than ever. Let’s consider a few good tips to help you keep your academic achievement.

1. Read Each Week

Some teachers require that you read a book every week; several other professors might just make it as a reference.

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Sometimes, the reading assignment is listed in the course syllabus, and it can make you feel a bit overwhelmed each week. However, force yourself to read and meet targets in the plan of studies.

You will discover how your ability to understand the lecture material increases by diligently reading the book according to the assignment.

2. Reread the Notes

Read your notes before you go over the course material again. Is it not what you can remember? Or are the notes only small pieces of information that you now don’t understand? If your answer is ‘Yes’ to both questions, then it’s time you clean up your lecture notes.

You do not need to do it in one sitting; clean up your notes every week. Your brain would be grateful if you did not try to enter all your cleaned-up information the night before the exam.

3. Take Responsibility

Keep in mind that you’re no longer in high school. All students in college are there to learn. They want to learn lots of things. And you’re not the only GED® graduate. More and more colleges accept GED College-Ready scores, and chances are that there are quite a few GED-holding peers.

They’re not there just to pass the time because they must. There’s so much opportunity to learn things in college, also outside the classroom. Just take advantage of the opportunities as much as you can.

4. Study Diligently

If you want to master the subject matter, then you must attend all scheduled lectures. Period! If you’re sick, loan notes or meet with your professor or study friends.

You need to be proactive; no one will hold your hand to reassure you that you will understand all the material that you’ve missed. Failing a class in college doesn’t need to be disastrous, but you’ve got to make up for it!

5. Follow the Syllabus

If your professor provides a guide before the exam, make sure you understand all the concepts he relayed. It would be wise if you wrote additional information to complete the outline that’s given of the lecture.

This is not only the best way to review the lesson, but it will also help you to ‘dump’ the information that’s not important and that you do not need to learn.

6. Meet your Professor (if Necessary)

Most of the students are too lazy to do this. If you are able to understand all of the subject matter and do not have any questions, you will be safe to learn on your own.

But if there is a gap between the subject matter that you understand that you do not understand, then it is time for you to make an appointment with your professor. College can be damn hard so make sure you’ll use all the available options to get ahead!

You should make an appointment with the lecturer well in advance rather than sending a desperate email to the teacher the night before the exam and ask him if he has time…

7. Make Sure You’re on Time for Every Class

Be on time for your classes, or even better, show up early. Just sit down and relax before your classes begin. Professors respect students who are never late and are always present much better than those who show up late.

Additionally, you’ll better learn what study material was covered day by day. You may have some problems actually getting up early to go to class, but the rewards will be great. If you need to see your professor, chances are s/he will remember you as you always show up early.

8. Set Goals

Every term, you need to reset your goals. This will help you to remain motivated and gives you goals to work toward. Analyze your learning process, see where you do well and where there’s room for some improvement.

Community colleges accept GED scores, so chances are there’ll be more GED graduates, so talk not only with high school grads but also with them.  That will help both you and them to deal with issues and set realistic goals.

Sure, college is more than merely achieving good grades, and you also want to learn more about things related to the world around you, but the basis for future success lies in you keeping your academic achievement. Setting goals is part of that process.

9. Sign Up for Important Courses Early

You should take the most important academic courses as early as you can. If there’s a chance to take a course within your major during your freshman year, do so. Later on, you may want to switch majors, so it is key to take key courses as early as possible.

You should not just choose a major because of current employment market opportunities or what your family members or friends are doing. Choose a major that has your interest and that will challenge you for a longer period of time.

10. Stay Focused and Ask Questions

Stay focused, be attentive, and avoid distractions. You should treat your classes as though they were important business meetings. Your professors will definitely appreciate that, and you can be sure to learn a lot more.

Ask also questions if your professor says something you don’t understand. You should not be afraid to get things clarified. Chances are that there are many more students in your class who also didn’t quite understand the subject matter.