How to Improve Your Grades Fast with 7 Easy And Proven Tips For School

Are you looking for ways to improve your grades quickly?

If that’s you, then you are in luck because I will show you 7 easy and proven tips on how to improve your grades fast.

So let’s get right to the first tip!

1. Read Or Watch Related Videos Before Class

Have you ever seen one student in class just have their hand up and seem to know all of the answers and somehow control the lecture?

Well, I’m going to tell you something very interesting.

They read before they went to class.

This is the secret trick of all of the successful students in college.

The thing is that most students (you can probably attest to this) go to class without knowing anything about the subject before it is introduced in class.

They just think that the professor will give them everything that they need to know. Granted, that should be the case since you are paying a HEFTY fee for your college education, but I’m here to tell you that with the exception of a handful of professors that actually teach, this will not be the case.

You need to prepare yourself beforehand.

Now before I explain the details of how to go about this, let me tell you what professors are actually doing in class.

They are simply reviewing the material with the assumption that you know the fundamentals of the topic.

They are not teaching you the details as to why things work the way that they do.

They are only clarifying details.

But this clarification will not happen if you don’t read up beforehand on the subject at hand and have a solid base to build upon in lecture.

Why won’t this happen?

Because you don’t know what needs to be clarified.

And the only way to know what needs to be clarified is to read or watch related videos about the concept before going to class so that you have thoughtful questions prepared for the instructor to answer.

This is how those students can control those lectures at the exclusion of everyone else.

Hence, that is why they sometimes become the teacher’s pet.

Now with that in mind, let me explain how to go about this so that you get the most out of your class time.

Step 1: Read or watch the material.

This is the obvious first step, but it’s step 1 because you need to start before you forget.

Step 2: While reading a section, note areas that seem confusing to you and why they are confusing.

THIS will be the basis for your questions in class. Since you know why they’re confusing to you, you can create the questions in a way that will address that confusion more effectively than just a random question. This is thoughtfulness.

Step 3: After you finish reading, make a list of your questions with sticky notes to your notes covering those sections, and why they’re confusing to you.

This is key because the last thing that you want is to rely on your memory for everything. This is NOT good.

You need to write it all down and keep that sheet in a safe location where you can access it immediately and won’t get lost.

Yes, it sounds obvious, but a lot of times, it’s the most obvious things that people fail to do and hence, that’s why they fail.

Don’t make that fatal error.

Now here’s another trick that the top students employ to get ahead in class.

2. Sit in the Front Row of Class

Have you ever seen that the most eager and determined students sit in the front?

No wonder that all of the action is in the front and not in the back, right?

Well, there’s a reason for that.

Students who sit in the front of the class are known to be less distracted in class and as a result, have higher grades than those who do not sit in the front of the class.

You can read that study for yourself here.

Additionally, professors are more likely to answer questions raised by those who do sit in the front row of class since they have an assumption in their minds that if they sit in the front of the class, they are the ones who are really trying to learn and not sleeping in the back of class like most students do.

As a result, the professor gains the front row students’ trust.

Trust me when I say that you don’t want to lose the professor’s trust in you.

Do everything that you can to gain their trust because they will help you if you do get it.

You can read specifics about how to gain their trust here.

Oh and also, it’s safe to say that if you are in the back of the class, you are typically surrounded by those who don’t give a damn about life.

Do yourself a favor and get out of that environment.

That should be PLENTY of reason to sit in the front so that you can be as FAR AWAY from them as much as possible.

If you are not convinced about sitting in the front row of your classes, I want you to watch this video here that perfectly describes the mindset of those who sit in the back and those who sit in the front.

Believe me, you definitely don’t want to be like those players.

Now, there is one exception to the sitting in the front row rule.

If you are in a classroom where the seats have different elevations and you can see the material better in seats that are higher than the front row and you are engaged just like you are in the front row and not distracted, then you can sit a little bit behind the front row to optimize your class time.

You’ll get the same benefits.

But everywhere else, it’s the front. Nowhere else.

Now for a really important one that you cannot miss.

3. No Excuses Mindset

If you are doubting your ability whatsoever, I want you to watch these two videos very closely and pay very close attention to what they have to say because they are not short of the full TRUTH that you need to know to get through college.

Video 1 is here.

Video 2 is here. Think of video 2 as your guide on how to improve your grades in math and in any other subject that you can think of.

This is the reality.

Anybody can study whatever they want to study and become the best at it.

Yes, even a guy with an IQ of 30 can become a master at rocket science if he applies himself to it.

Believe me when I say that it’s true.

So if that’s possible, then that means you have zero reason to let yourself down when it comes to studying.

You have to gives your full effort 100% of the time even if you feel that you are on cloud 9 with the material.

When in doubt, just know that if you do everything correctly, there is NO REASON for you to fail and that if you do fail, it’s because you simply did not do enough in your own power to make sure that you don’t fail.

Now, if you are trying problems over and over again and you still don’t understand something and you are using the fully using the resources at your disposal in order to understand the material, then you aren’t doing anything wrong and you won’t fail.

You will get there because you have the mindset for it. You simply just need to keep persisting.

However, if you are sitting there complaining that it’s too hard and that you simply blame circumstances for your shortcomings (unless you are seriously ill of course), then you are a loser.

End of discussion.

However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t become a winner.

You just need to flip the switch in your mind from “I can’t” to “I can” and watch your results skyrocket.

Believe me when I say that this will happen if you adopt the no excuses mindset to studying.

You’ll ace your tests or at minimum, make at least a B.

Now for the resources to get you out of the slump if you are in one.

4. Use Your Book and The Internet

These are the 2 most underutilized resources by any college student.

Of course, some books are just flat out bad, but when you’ve got a good one at your disposal, you simply can’t ignore it. You have to pick it up and read it because that’s where your tests are coming from.

True, maybe not your exact homework questions, but the concepts that will be on the test will come straight from the reading.

The professors can’t pull from any other place, so you are guaranteed to pass the tests if you just read the textbook provided that the textbook is good.

So don’t buy into the hype amongst your classmates that “The class is too hard” when the real answers are right there in the book for you to read.

Don’t forget that.

Now, if your textbook is bad or you want some additional perspectives to sharpen your understanding more, the internet is the place to be in order to get what you need.

YouTube is the secret gem with any topic that you can think of and instructors who articulate the information better than the professors at university.

That’s also one of the secrets of the top students at university. They are resourceful to the max because they need to depend on themselves to get the information that they need. Trust me, they know without a doubt in their mind that college is a game and that this is one of the ways to master the game.

You can read more about that topic here.

Now which YouTube channels do you use specifically?

That depends on what you’re studying since they’ll vary based on that.

But, if you are in STEM, I’ll give you one that will get you through a topic that every STEM major MUST go through and that is calculus.

Professor Leonard is the absolute BEST for that. When you watch the videos and do the problems after, you will see why.

You can access his videos here.

If you’re not convinced, just read his reviews here.

Now for a really tedious, but worthwhile trick, to retaining the information in your head.

5. Do All of Your Homework Again

You heard that right.

Do ALL of your homework again.

Why?

Because you will see during the second and even the third time that you do the homework any flaws in your understanding that you didn’t catch the first time.

This will REALLY sharpen your game, plus you won’t forget most of the stuff that you see.

What most students do is that they quote “half-ass” the homework in that they’ll try it, but they’ll give up after the first attempt.

This is one of the reasons that they fail and you should take note of that so that you don’t do it yourself.

Now there is more to this than just doing it a second time.

If you want to REALLY master what you are doing, pick out some other problems from the textbook that are not in your homework and start doing them the same way that you would do your homework problems and see if you can get through those.

If you can get through those “Do More” problems with relative ease, you’ve the established the confidence that you need to master your test and you can expect to pass your test and most likely ace your test.

If you can’t get through all of the “Do More” problems, then you should read that concept again and try again after you’ve read the concept because there is something in your understanding that is missing that prevented you from doing the “Do More” problems correctly.

And here’s another thing for you, especially if you’re in STEM.

Focus on the concepts rather than just memorizing stuff.

This will allow you to make your thoughts flow and make sense in your head without having to memorize steps. You’ll be able to see everything happening and your test results will reflect that.

You can read more specifics about how to go about studying here. Definitely read if you are an engineering or computer science major and you need to know how to study for those subjects. If you don’t know how to study for those subjects, you will get stung hard.

And now for a dose of oxygen in your academic body!

6. Ask For Help Right When You Need It

Ok, everyone wants to ask for help, but very few do.

Why?

Because they are scared that the professor will pick on them.

Even if the professor does this, ask anyway because that’s their job assuming that you do your part.

If you have at least a decent professor, that professor will try to help you out.

Now, if your professor is REALLY bad or your professor’s explanation was not enough to fully clarify your doubts, assuming that you read the book and/or you watched videos on the subject, then you have 2 other options of help that you can exercise.

Option 1: Your classmates in your class or in other classes

Assuming that they have a grasp on what’s going on, they will help you. I can fully guarantee that.

Why?

Because to make sure that they know the material themselves, they must teach it to others.

This is their way of ensuring that their thoughts are coming out clearly and that they clarify what they are thinking. They have nothing to lose by doing this and you have nothing to lose when you ask them to explain a concept to you.

It’s a win-win scenario.

Now I recommend that you do this technique with only 1 other student in your class or with someone who already took the class and has a firm grasp of what they’re doing.

If you want to do it with more than 1 student, I suggest finding a study group or forming one with students in your class and have no more than 5 students in the group so that it’s not overcrowded and you all can work together to arrive at the solution.

That should do the trick with groups. They’re not required, but for some students, they’re useful so definitely take full advantage of them if you feel that it’s the correct situation for you.

Now for a really underrated one and that is tutoring at the Center for Academic Success.

These tutors, for the most part, definitely know what they are doing when it comes to the material and you are bound to clarify any doubts that you have when you see them.

They’ve taken the class and they have gone through what you are going through. As a result, they not only have the knowledge to explain the material conceptually to you, but they can give you some insider tips and tricks that you can’t get anywhere else about what might be on the test.

So definitely use these tutors to your advantage. They WILL save your skin and put you ahead of the curve in class.

And now for the most important one of them all.

7. Know WHY You’re In School

Listen, if you don’t have your why, you are not going anywhere in life regardless of what path you take.

Period.

You need to know what you are going to get out of college before you even think about it.

This is why most students miss out on all of its benefits.

I hope that if you are in college right now or if you are in high school or thinking about college, you take the time to reflect on why you are there in the first place.

Assuming that there are no strings attached in your life, you can take other options in life if your desired path doesn’t require college.

You might just save yourself a lot of time and money following another path if it doesn’t require college.

You can read more details about that topic here.

Now of course, if you truly want to be a doctor, a lawyer, an engineer, and accountant, a nurse or some professional that has a degree requirement, assuming that you are not going into debt for it, you are in the right place.

For everybody else, I highly recommend reading the post and reconsider what you are doing.

Question everything that you hear in this world. It might be the best thing that you ever do.

If you got a lot out of this post and want more extremely helpful strategies for navigating college and its mysteries, definitely subscribe to Join the Island, the world’s best blog for college students, with your email right below.

Until next time,

This is Evan signing off.

PS: Comment with what you got out of the post and the results that occurred. It’d be great to know what happened!