How did last term go? Perhaps you performed poorly on tests, failed to get assignments in on time or had too many absences. All of that can lead to low grades and a not-so-good result.
Before you beat yourself up, remember this: We all make mistakes. What’s more, even if last term didn’t go as well as you had hoped, you can do better this time around. And while it takes a good deal of effort to get your grades back up, doing so is made easier by putting some planning into how you approach this term.
Follow these four steps to help turn things around:
1. EVALUATE THE PROBLEMS
The first step to improving your grades this term is evaluating why you didn’t get the grades you wanted last term. To get to the root of this issue, ask yourself these and similar questions:
- Did I have too much fun, and spend too little time studying?
- Did most of the things that were taught in class pass right over my head, while I didn’t grasp much of anything?
- Was I preoccupied with dating, sports, personal troubles, extra-curricula activities and therefore slacked off on studying?
Remember to be honest with yourself. There may be several factors that led to your poor grades and understanding them can help you improve your academic performance this term.
2. IDENTIFY THE SOLUTIONS
After evaluating the problems you had last term, it’s time to determine how to solve them. Jot down a list of your problems; then next to each, note reasonable ways to solve them. Just as there may be several factors that led to your poor grades, you may need to look for more than one solution, so be creative and keep an open mind.
For instance, if last term you spent too much time doing other stuff than studying, you could first ask your coach, parents or guardians if you could trim down some of the hours spent doing those things. Next, you could set up a regular study schedule and/or join a study group to hold you accountable to studying, and help you where you are struggling.
Read More: 7 Techniques To Help You Make the Best of Study Groups
3. CREATE AND INITIATE A PLAN
Review your list of problems and solutions and design an actionable plan. Most likely, you will need to take on a different approach to different problems. Break your plan down into actionable steps that will lead you to success.
Once you have outlined a plan, it’s time to initiate it. Set your plan in motion by applying solutions to your life one step at a time. For example, a student who needs to spend less time at extra-curricula activities and more time studying would need to cut down on those hours, as noted above. So, first, he or she would need to come up with a reasonable number of hours to spend doing this, and then propose these hours to his or her coach or parents.
Read More: How to Create New and Effective Study Habits for the New Term
4. MONITOR YOUR PROGRESS
When it comes to turning things around after a poor term, it’s critical to monitor your progress so you don’t make the same mistakes you made previously. At the end of each week, review your assignment, exam, and participation/attendance grades. If you begin to slip in any one or all of these categories, it’s time to reevaluate your problems and begin the turnaround process all over again.
