How to Keep Your Grades Up in College During Quarantine

Like most college students across the world right now, you are probably studying at home and preparing for your end-of-term examinations. While keeping up with your studies during a global pandemic can be quite challenging, it is important to not let these distractions lead to a drop in your GPA. It can be difficult keeping up the same excitement and zeal you had in your freshman year all throughout your college years. As more and more assignments pile up and classes become more intense, the harsh reality of what college life has become due to COVID-19 can be despiriting. Keeping up with personal commitments and the accumulating school work starts to become arduous, and grades begin to drop. 

However, as difficult as it may seem, it isn’t impossible to keep your grades steady all through college, even during quarantine. With the right amount of hard work, consistency, and dedication, you can manage to keep up your grades without compromising a healthy lifestyle. Here are some ways you can work to maintain good grades:

1. Attend your online classes. Even during this pandemic, remember that class participation can affect your grades. Therefore, attending each lecture can greatly contribute to how well you do in the subject. Missing just one or two classes a month can sometimes lead you to fall behind in your lessons and make you lose track. Keeping up with your professor’s lectures and instructions is important as it helps you understand the subject matter better and even helps you clarify any questions you may have as soon as possible.
2. Take down notes during class. In addition to helping make revision easier, taking notes during class helps you concentrate and also retain the information discussed. Always try to write down important points and explanations so that you can refer back to them in the future. It also helps you when you approach your professor with any queries. For more tips on how to take good notes, read How to Take Good Study Notes.
3. Keep up with homework. As burdensome as it can seem, everyone knows that the faster you finish homework, the better you will retain information as most homework tasks are designed to reinforce the concepts and ideas discussed in the lecture. Homework helps you revise whatever the professor may have covered in class and helps let the knowledge seep in better. Doing your homework by yourself and understanding the topic can greatly help you clarify your own thoughts and any doubts you may have on the subject matter as well.
4. Keep yourself motivated. Don’t let your initial excitement for the subject die down just because it got too hard or difficult to manage. The subject is still the same, just more advanced. Try to take on the challenge and work hard so that you can reap the benefits later. For tips on how to study better on your own during this time, read How to Self Study During the Coronavirus Quarantine.
5. Stay in touch with your teachers. Don’t feel shy to approach them with any questions you may have. Always try to clarify any doubts or any parts of the lesson you haven’t understood completely. Especially during these quarantine days, teachers actually prefer that their students ask them questions. It shows that you’re interested!
6. Take study breaks. Remember to not exhaust yourself mentally or physically. Yes, grades are important now, but your mental and physical well being is even more important. Staying up all night, or studying non-stop for hours is not very healthy. Try to take at least 15-minute-long breaks every hour or so to keep yourself fit and alert.
7. Try group study. This is a great time for collaborative initiatives. Sometimes studying with a group of classmates together helps a lot. You can freely ask questions and even help explain concepts to others, which is a great way for you to revise the subject matter. Getting people to ask you questions, and you asking them, is an excellent way to learn and reinforce your existing knowledge as well.

Remember that practically everyone has fluctuations in their grades. With quarantine becoming the new normal, the way we learn and study has changed. Instead of resisting these changes, embrace them with these new tips and leverage technology and group study options. Don’t fret too much. Just try to do the best you can and maintain a steady, organized, and planned schedule throughout, and you should be just fine.

Do share any other study tips that have worked for you during the quarantine in the comments below!