How I Maintain A 3.9 GPA In College As A Procrastinator

I’ve been planning to create a guide to maintaining (or raising) your GPA in college for a while now. I have noticed that there are a few of these guides out there but all of them include unrealistic tips like “study two weeks in advance,” which I know doesn’t really happen. That’s why today I am bringing you the no BS guide to how I have maintained my 3.9 GPA in college as a MAJOR procrastinator. If you have been wondering how to improve your grades you’ve come to the right place.

This post is all about how I maintained a 3.9 GPA in college while being a procrastinator.

Use A Planner

Using a planner is my best kept secret to maintaining my GPA in college and keeping my schedule on track. This is the one thing I do not procrastinate on. Assign each class a color and stick to it. At the beginning of every semester I go over my syllabi and plug major assignments into the monthly overviews. This includes exams and projects and any days class won’t meet. Next, I use every Sunday night to plan out my weekly assignments. If I have a test in the coming week I add it to the date so I can see it every day. Finally, each day in class, I note any other assignments the professor might have added.

Go To Class

I will never understand how people don’t show up to classes for an entire semester. I find that going to class helps me learn more than I would by skimming the textbook on my own. Even if the professor is the most boring person to walk the Earth and you spend the class doodling or scrolling through social media, go to class! Odds are you will pick up at least some information that you can recall at a later time.

The same goes for online classes, you should watch the Zoom meetings when they are scheduled. You can still ace online classes if you prioritize being present

Hand Write All Notes

I have found that using the classing pen and notebook is very beneficial. I don’t have a specific style of notes that I stick to but I always color code. Writing the notes out helps me to stay focused and retain the information more that if I type them out. Later if you have some extra time you can type them up so you can read them better when studying. The most important thing about note taking is that you have to find what works best for you. Maybe you are more visual and need to draw pictures, that’s great!

Use Quizlet

I don’t care what you say, quizlet has saved my grades. There are sets for pretty much every class that you can find by googling a term or question. Additionally, you can create your own sets and use the different resources to study. My freshman year of college I had an English class that had vocabulary tests every week. I swore by the matching game in the app during that time. Share your quizlet with your classmates or ask if they’ll share theirs!

Bonus Tip: team work makes the dream work

Stay Organized to Maintain A High College GPA

This has been my saving grace to maintain my GPA in college. As a procrastinator, you will have times that you are scrambling to gather assignments at the last minute. Being organized saves you time searching for previous assignments and notes. I like to keep a folder and a notebook for each class I take (color coordinated of course). All of my notes and studying is kept in the notebook and any handouts or loose papers stay in the folder. If you are taking an online class, I have a whole guide on organization.

If my guide isn’t enough for you, College Info Geek has some awesome tips as well!

Prioritize Your Assignments

Let’s face it: assignments are often way easier points than exams. Always complete your assignments and you’ll be guaranteed at least a few points. Organize your assignments in a way that motivates you to get through them all. Some people might choose to do the assignments worth more points first. Others might choose to do the easier assignments first so they get more done in a shorter period of time. Whatever you decide to do, make sure it keeps you motivated and works for you! Personally, I like to do the easier tasks first. If I do harder assignments first my mind feels worn out and I need breaks that end up in me getting out of the homework mindset and losing my motivation.

Study For Tests

This is something I have always struggled with, especially while trying to maintain my GPA. The truth is it is not realistic for procrastinators to start studying weeks (even days) in advance. Honestly, I am so bad at this and I don’t start studying until the night before. But I’m smart with my time (mostly) and that’s what matters. If you are going to wait until the last minute to study then you need to make sure you are distraction free and organized.

Go to the library or be alone in your room and keep your phone away from you. Try studying for 45 minutes then giving yourself a 15 minute break. This way you have the break to look forward to each hour and you aren’t going with no end in sight. Look over any notes, study guides, readings, and quizlets that might help you on the test. Study groups are also a great option if you are actually studying.

I hope that these no bs tips have shed some light on how I have maintained my 3.9 GPA in college and how you can too. If you have any other tips that work for you, please share them below. I am always looking for some good tips.