Your Kid has Graduated High School! Now What? Part IV: When Your Grade Drops

Throughout high school, students learn the importance of taking notes, developing study techniques, asking questions, and preparing for exams. College is nothing different, unless you consider the fact that you are learning at an increased rate. What would normally take an entire academic year to learn is streamlined into a 16 week semester. Lectures are swift, concepts are added and new terminology is expected to be understood. 

All seems well... Until the grade drops.

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Your student has more worry in college because grades matter, just as they did in high school. The difference is, they have less time to bring it back up. If your student is like me, they relish in high grades and also know that their funding rests on maintaining a specific GPA. 

Receiving low marks on an important assignment can be devastating to not only their self-esteem, but also can interfere with their scholarships and grants, and can also put their program enrollment in jeopardy for future graduate programs. 

Recovering a low semester grade can be done. Recovering 2 low semester grades almost feels impossible. But there are ways to encourage your student to improve their grades and increase test-taking ability.

• Many universities offer tutoring labs to assist with mathematics and writing. When touring campuses, parents and future students should inquire on the accessibility of these, especially if your student has struggled in math or writing. 
• Remember that for every hour they are in class, it is recommended to spend 6 hours studying the material outside of class. This is not always an easy feat, considering many students have some type of part-time job. This is where the student must be able to prioritize and utilize those time-management skills. 
• Proper note-taking skills are also fundamental in improving grades. Many online sites are available to teach note taking skills free of charge. During my time in college, I used the Cornell method. It never failed me! 
• It's never to early to put that phone/tablet/tv/game system away and get some sleep! Studies have unequivocally shown that proper rest is vital in maintaining a strong, healthy mind. Mental health is vital in retaining information. 
• Compartmentalize fun time as a reward for getting study tasks completed. The cliche of "work hard... play harder!" has been in my tool box not only as a homeschool mom, but as a college student as well. I would find little ways to reward myself for the hours I had spent reading the material, studying my notes, and listening to the lecture recordings I had made during class. Because it is truly impossible to have fun when you are distracted with a pending assignment, getting the work done first, then having fun really does allow you to mentally relax and enjoy what you are doing. 
• Forming study groups with classmates is another way to increase your understanding of the material. As a Graduate Assistant, I was often tasked with assisting students in social statistics class. Working through the problems with the student, I would hear "that makes sense when you put it that way" from them. And wouldn't you know, their marks improved! Instructors and professors are still human and may not always say the right thing to help you understand something. Bouncing the ideas around other classmates may help you develop a better understanding. 
• Prioritize your time. I cannot speak on this enough. Life doesn't stop just because you are in college. Things happen that are beyond our control. But, there are little things you can do to make sure you keep on top of your studies. Prioritizing your time is a must and setting aside short burts of study time is more beneficial than cramming it all in the night before. 
• You might need a "brain binder". This was my go to and I'll blog on it later, but in the simplest form: A binder with a clear front that would hold a piece of paper that had the due dates of everything I had to do that semester. From that, I would open it up to the key terms I had difficulty with (especially in Biology and Chemistry). The first tab was my notes I had taken from my original notes which listed short phrases of main ideas and concepts. The second tab was my original notes. The third tab was reading notes I had taken from the texts I read. The fourth tab was notes I had taken while researching the concepts. The final tab was questions I wrote that might appear on the test, based on the lecture and assigned readings. 
• Recognize your test-taking personality. Maybe you now the material front and back, but just can't perform well on exams. If you have or suffer from test anxiety, identifying the skills you need to better perform on exams is a must. There are multitudes of online resources to help you overcome test anxiety. For me, the simplest way was to ask the instructor or professor if I could have a blank sheet of paper to cover the test, and slide it down to only reveal one question at a time. This alone improved my test scores during my first year as an undergraduate.
• Learning to say NO when you haven't studied. This is the most difficult for any student because fun is always better than boring, right? But, that fun can keep you from success, especially if you are struggling in a class. Let's say you have a biology exam in two days. You are familiar with the concepts but don't feel confident enough to pass without studying. Your friends are ready for a night out and want you to come. You could go with them, have fun, perhaps a little too much fun, come home and sleep the next day with the intent of studying hard the next day. That might work. But it might not. More often than not, it won't. Your better option would be to study for a few hours, take a break, catch a movie, nap, or some other restful but relaxing activity. Then wake up the next day, study some more, take another break, study a little more, etc. The day of the test arrives  and you are mentally sound, rested, and filled your mind with repetitive studying. Who will score higher? The student who went out or the student who found balance in study and rest? You know who! 
• Own your mistakes. If you are the one who went out with your friends, own the fact that your grade is low because you didn't prioritize your studies. Recognizing your faults is the first step in correcting them. 
• Celebrate your accomplishments. If you are the one who said NO and prioritized your studies, celebrate! Go out, let loose, but be safe! You've earned it! 

As parents, we want our children to gain the most from whatever they experience. As a former college student, I can say it's not the bad grade that defines us. Rather, it is the way we choose to take control of our choices and improve our outlook that shows our true character. 

Ciao! 
LaVonda