Dear Jethro,

My grades for this quarter aren’t what I want them to be. However, I realize that I haven’t been putting much effort into my work or my classes. I want to improve my grades for next quarter. Do you have any tips for me?

-Slacker

Dear Slacker,

The end of the quarter is always a stressful time for us students, but no matter how well (or how badly), we think we did, there’s always another chance next quarter. In your question, you stated that you did badly this quarter because you didn’t put much effort into your classes. With that statement, I think you just answered your own question. If you think that the grades you received this quarter are reflective of the amount of work you put in, then the answer is simple: put in more effort the next quarter. However, as an advice columnist, it is my job to help you as best as I can from this side of the computer screen. Here are my tips to you Slacker, and anyone else who wants to get better grades next quarter:

1.  Attend class every day

I know what you’re thinking, but yes, this is a tip. As simple as it sounds, so many students find it hard to show up to class every day. There are some exceptions, such as students with family emergencies, or students who have been hospitalized and/or are too sick to come to school, but if you’re feeling well and are able-bodied, there is no excuse for you not to go to school everyday. And even if you do show up to school, this means no cutting classes either. Every second you spend missing out on your teacher’s lectures, as boring as they may seem, is a second wasted when you could be learning something new and will only negatively affect you when those report cards come out.

2. Pay attention in class

You showed up to class, congratulations. But that is only one step of the way. Sure, you’re in class, but what are you doing? Are you on your phone? Are you socializing with your friends? Are you taking a nap? Are you doing homework for other classes that you should have done that night? If you have said “yes” to any of these or are doing anything other than paying attention to your teacher and doing work, then you have found yet another reason why your grades aren’t that good. As I stated earlier, every second you spend missing out on your teacher’s lectures is a second wasted on learning nothing at all. Even though you are physically there and are in hearing-range of your teacher, if you aren’t paying attention and absorbing what they say, it is just as useless as if you weren’t there at all.

3. Do your homework every night

This is yet again another simple thing that many students don’t do. I understand that you’re pretty busy with your extracurricular activities, your social life, keeping yourself updated on social media, and your family life because I have to attend to those too. However, how hard is it to take an hour away from all that, and sit down and do your homework every night? There is a reason that in most classes, homework accounts for some percentage of the overall grade. Sure, it won’t completely skyrocket your grade up, but it will keep you from failing. In my experience, it is nearly impossible to receive anything below a C when you do all the assigned homework. Another advantage to doing your homework at home (hence the word “HOMEwork”) is that you won’t have to do them at lunch or in the middle of another class, which allows you to give your full attention to the lesson or the latest gossip from your lunch table friends.

4. If you need help on a topic, ask your teacher or form a study group

Sometimes, despite your best efforts to understand a topic, you simply just don’t get it. But this doesn’t mean that you should quit. If you do that, you’ll end up doing poorly on a test, which will greatly impact your grade. After class, try asking your teacher if he or she can further explain the topic you don’t understand, or better yet, if there’s a review session available after school or during your lunch period. If for some reason your teacher is unavailable to assist you at a convenient time, you can always form a study group. There’s strength in numbers. Chances are, at least one person in your group has some understanding on the subject and can assist you and others who are struggling. Study groups also make for good group outings, as everyone in the group can enjoy each other’s company while still working at improving their grades as well.

5. Go the extra mile and utilize third-party resources

In another one of my articles, I mentioned how great it is to be living in the age of the Internet due to how many educational resources it has (Click on the link to read that article: https://erhsraider.org/student-life/2015/01/16/jethros-quick-tips-to-midterm-cramming/). These resources include videos on YouTube and websites that feature step-by-step directions and even practice quizzes. In your free time, instead of watching Jenna Marbles’ newest video or the latest music videos on Vevo, try watching a video about a topic in school that you don’t understand very well. This ties in with Tip #4, and reaps the same benefits. In the same amount of time it takes you to watch any regular YouTube video, you will have hopefully learned something new, assuming you paid attention to the video.

Well there you have it, my tips for improving your grades. While some of these seem simple and easy to do, they can make a bigger difference than you think. Slacker, I wish you the best in the following quarter, along with anyone else who could use a grade boost.

Sincerely,

Jethro