Effective time management helps students boost their grades by organizing and distinguishing between study time, free time and time for other obligations such as work, sports and extracurricular activities. Unlike high school, where schools structure the day, college schedules allow for a lot of free time, thus creating wide gaps during the day where students can become unfocused. Developing a daily calendar and blocking out certain times for various activities such as studying, writing papers and meeting with groups about projects can all help students get better grades. Setting specific goals, either weekly or monthly, can also help in better organization.
For those struggling with an entire course or even concepts within a course, tutors help students learn material better to score higher on exams, thus improving their grade point average. Colleges often use paid tutors who excel in certain disciplines to teach fellow students the material; they can spend more time with a student and focus on certain areas where students need additional work. Students often learn better from fellow students and feel more comfortable asking questions, discussing problems and focusing on solutions. Many schools also teach additional grammar and structure problems at a campus writing center to help students with papers and other writing-related assignments.
Making an appointment with a college professor will give a student the opportunity to ask questions, understand better what's expected of him on tests and assignments and give him the chance to air concerns about the course. Most professors post office hours for just that -- to see students. Students should prepare a list of questions and ask about further resources to help them improve their grades. If students suffer low tests scores because of attendance problems or late assignments, students should explain the reasons behind those problems and seek advice on how to improve. Most important, don't wait until the end of the semester to talk with the professor about a problem; a proactive approach will help prevent any problems that might develop.
Students should take the time to learn how to study by learning how to determine important information, how to take good notes and what questions to ask when listening to a lecture. Special courses, study guides and even workshops on college campuses can help students greatly improve their overall grade point average, especially for those just making the transition from high school to college. Students can learn how to improve reading comprehension, focus on writing topics and take tests.