After opening your first-semester report card, you realize that your grades aren’t as high as you wanted them to be. Anxiety-filled thoughts consume your brain: Will I ever recover? Am I going to graduate? Am I destined for failure? How will I go to college?
Before you get caught up in hypothetical scenarios, take a deep breath. Although it’s difficult to comprehend at first, a bad grade is not the determinant of your future. You can take this opportunity to improve your grades and restructure your learning strategies. We’ll give you some tips on how to exactly tackle this—essentially, we’re going to teach you how to get over a bad grade.
Why Do I Have Bad Grades?
Before you turn your grades around, you must understand why you’re struggling.
For instance, if you often find the content on tests unfamiliar, this means that there are gaps in your knowledge. This could be the result of various factors. You may not give yourself enough time to study, or you don’t study effectively. Maybe you get distracted while studying. Perhaps, you don’t reach out for help when you’re confused. Whatever the cause may be, we encourage you to tackle it. Don’t worry—we have some tips to get you started.
10 Ways to Improve Your Grades
1. Diversify your study strategies
Studying isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ type of task. What works for your best friend may not work for you, so don’t be afraid to try something new. You can watch review videos, make flashcards, write summaries, make a pneumonic, or even explain a chemistry concept you're learning to a family member. You don’t have to read 50 pages of a textbook to study!
2. Pomodoro study technique
The Pomodoro study technique is a time management tool that can boost your productivity while studying. This technique encourages you to divide your to-do list into short time intervals with breaks in between, instead of attempting to manage multiple tasks at once. Through this, you avoid getting burned out from studying for hours on end.
3. Don’t just reread notes
When you simply glance over your notes, your brain is passive, rather than engaged. Instead, utilize your critical thinking and problem-solving skills. For example, instead of reading algebra equations, work out the steps of a complex word problem. You’ll develop muscle memory for solving such problems and achieve greater results on a real test. Remember: practice makes improvement.
4. Don’t procrastinate
We’ve all procrastinated before. However, last-minute studying makes it difficult to truly learn or memorize content. When you stay up late studying before a test, you sacrifice precious time for sleep. Sleep is critical for retention, energy, and motivation. In addition, assignments that are completed right before a deadline are rushed and prone to mistakes.
5. Create a study schedule
A study schedule keeps you on track. It can help you avoid falling into the consequential trap of procrastination. Write down your assignments and test dates in a planner or calendar. Prioritize your earliest due dates, and take on tasks one at a time. This way, you won’t be overloaded with deadlines and mounting stress.
6. Complete all of your homework
Teachers often weigh tests more than homework. Exams might be worth 85% of your grade, while homework and classwork are only 15%. 15% doesn’t seem like much, but missing or incomplete homework assignments add up; completing all of your assigned work may just tip your grade from a C to a B. Besides—homework may seem annoying, but it solidifies your understanding of what you’ve learned in school.
7. Review basic concepts first
When you begin studying for a test, it’s tempting to only focus on the more challenging topics you’ve learned. However, you shouldn’t neglect the basics. An in-depth review of basic concepts strengthens your foundational knowledge, which can then be built upon.
8. Reduce distractions
None of us are immune to the cycle of scrolling and scrolling on social media. This major distraction makes it impossible to stay concentrated while studying. Try keeping your phone in another room, or completely turning it off for a couple of hours. Although this sounds extreme, complete concentration actually allows you to minimize the amount of time you have to spend studying (which means more time for leisure or extracurricular activities)!
9. Be engaged in class
By actively participating in your classes, you’re more likely to grasp the material you’re learning. Don’t be afraid to ask questions to your teacher or peers. You don’t want to realize that you still have unanswered questions on the morning of an exam!
10. Reach out to your teachers for extra support
Your teachers are your greatest asset. Often, class time isn’t long enough for teachers to provide individual support to students. However, you can email a teacher or schedule a meeting with them if you’re struggling in their class. Many teachers also have office hours, which is designated time for you to ask them questions.
Final Thoughts on How to Get Over a Bad Grade
We hope that you incorporate these tips into your life. Even one or two can make a difference. As you begin your journey to overcome a bad grade, remember to believe in yourself. Bad grades are a temporary setback, not a permanent trend. We know you can do it!
You can also use UPchieve’s free 1-on-1 tutoring services to improve your grades. No matter what time it is, and whether you need help with geometry, US history, or calculus, we’ve got your back!
