How I went from a 2.25 GPA to a 4.0 in 3 years

I came into college straight out of high school with a 26 ACT and a 2.25 GPA. I sucked at school. I didn't put in any effort, and I almost failed out of my first year of college. However, I turned myself around and managed to graduate with a 4.0 GPA. I've gotten a lot of requests for tips on how I did it, so here they are. <br><br>1. **Put in the effort** This is the most obvious one. Trust me when I say that your grades will reflect the effort you put in. I went from minimal effort to maximal effort, and the results are astounding. <br><br>2. **Use active learning**<br>Reading a textbook with a highlighter is passive learning. You may have read something, but it goes in one ear and out the other. If you're reading a chapter, write notes on each section. Summarize everything you read. Read your notes. If you like to watch crash course, watch the video with a notebook and write notes. If you like Khan Academy, do the quizzes and write notes. Write concept maps and flashcards. If you're learning a language, write down sentences and try to memorize them. If you're in a class, listen to what the teacher is saying and write everything down. I double my effort by watching lectures on something I'm studying for and taking notes during the class. <br><br>3. **Use spaced repetition** Go over your notes day after day after day. I take my flashcards and quiz myself three times per day. I review my notes twice per day. The key here is to give yourself time to forget and then have to relearn everything. If you go over your notes once per day, you won't have to relearn anything, because you just went over it. If you go over it after a few days, you've forgotten everything and you have to put in effort to relearn it. This helps you store everything in long term memory. Look up the forgetting curve to learn more.<br><br>4. **Use pomodoro timers** If you want to spend 4 hours reviewing your notes, break it up into 4 hours of **45 minutes reviewing and 15 minutes taking a break**. This helps you stay focused and stops you from burning out. After each 45 minutes, do something you like. Eat a snack. Listen to a song. Go outside. Do something where you don't think about your classes. I take two breaks per day, and I usually do something fun like reading or going outside.<br><br>5. **Use mnemonics** If you're trying to memorize a list of things, use something called a mnemonic to help you memorize them. For example, some people use "Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally" to memorize the order of operations (Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication and Division, and Addition and Subtraction). This helps you put words in your head that can help you remember other words. I have mnemonics for things like the order of sharps and flats in music theory, the order of planets in our solar system, the order of the labs in our anatomy class, different laws, the order of things on a certain checklist, etc. Look up different types of mnemonics and use them.<br><br>6. **Use a planner** This can help you keep track of everything going on in your life. I keep track of my classes, my work, my workouts, my study time, my research, my appointments, everything. Write everything down. Don't try to keep it all in your head. If you get a bad grade on an assignment, write it down. If you do well on a test, write it down. If you have a certain goal, write it down, and look at it every day. <br><br>7. **Stay organized** This one might seem obvious, but almost no one does this. Keep all your notes organized by class or date or category or something. Keep all your quizzes and exams organized. Use color coding. Keep all your physical notes in one physical notebook, or keep all your digital notes in one digital file. Keep all your files organized. Use folders and labels. Keep everything you might need in the future organized. I keep all my notes from each class, and I use them to study for the final exam. <br><br>8. **Reward yourself** This is probably the most important one. I used to hate studying, because I would study all day, and then go to bed and do nothing. I would think "I already spent 8 hours studying, I should go live a little bit". I've stopped doing this. Instead of punishing myself with long study days, I give myself a reward after each big task. I study for something for an hour, and then I go play video games for 30 minutes. I work on a project for two hours, and then I go watch a movie. I finish a big test, and I spend all day playing video games. This helps me stay motivated. I spend all day doing a lot of work, and then I have something fun to look forward to. It's a lot better than getting burnt out after a few hours of studying. <br><br>9. **Listen to music** Listening to music with lyrics can be distracting and prevents you from retaining anything you read. If you're going to listen to music, make sure it doesn't have any lyrics or spoken words. I like listening to lo-fi or electronic music when I study, because there are no words to get in the way. If I'm doing something that doesn't require a lot of effort, I'll listen to music with words, but I almost always turn off the music if I'm studying or reading. <br><br>10. **trim the fat** you can probably cut some classes or things you do out of your life and use that time to study instead. I have always realized that I prefer studying a lot more than seeing friends or doing social stuff. I used to have 3-4 roommates and go out to the bars all the time. I didn't do very well in school, but now I have only one roommate, and we don't go out much. I study a lot more than I used to, and I'm a lot happier. <br><br>11. **Use a browser extension** I use uBlock Origin to block all distracting websites. I block Instagram, Chambers, YouTube, and TikTok during the day. I block them on my phone, computer, and iPad. If I want to watch videos or go on social media, I have to go to the trouble of disabling the blocker. This helps me stay focused and avoids procrastination. <br><br>12. **Study at the library** This one might be obvious, but if you study at the library, you have to put in the effort to get there and get out. This can help you stay motivated. If you're studying at your house, you have to put in more effort to get your stuff and go to the library. At home, you just have to walk to a different room. When I'm at the library, I know that I have to get there and get out, and I put in more effort to make it worth it. <br><br>13. **Eat well** Stay away from junk food and soda. This one might seem obvious, but a lot of people don't do it. If you're eating trash, your brain isn't going to work properly. If you're drinking soda, your blood sugar is going to skyrocket and then drop. This can cause you to feel tired. I quit drinking soda a few months ago, and I don't miss it at all. I used to drink a lot of soda, but I prefer water and coffee now. <br><br>14. **Exercise** I've read a few articles about how exercise can improve your memory, and I agree with them. I used to spend all day sitting in my bed or chair, and I didn't do well in school. I started exercising a lot and running, and I got much better grades. I've cut back on the running lately, but I definitely think that exercise helps you have better focus. <br><br>15. **Take breaks** This one might seem obvious, but I used to study for 8 hours a day and then go to bed. I definitely think that taking breaks can help you stay focused. It prevents you from burning out, and it can help you clear your mind. If I'm struggling with something, I'll take a day off of it and come back to it the next day. It's a lot better than spending hours struggling with something.<br><br>That's all my tips. I started doing these things 3 years ago, and I've almost made a 2 GPA difference. I've learned a lot about myself and about school, and I hope that these tips help you.