Attend every class. All high schools require that you go to class and most college courses, if not lecture-based, will decrease your grade if you miss more than a certain number of courses. Moreover, not going to class means you do not know what the topics are. If you miss one or two classes, email the professor to explain why you missed class and how you can make it up.
Sit in the front of the class. The teacher will get to know you better. You will be forced to pay attention, hear better and not be distracted by other students.
Talk to your teachers. You should always introduce yourself to your professor during the first week of class. If you are specifically concerned about grades, ask your teacher what it takes to get an A or a B in the class. Most college professors are willing to give you a straightforward answer. If you are currently halfway through the semester and your grades are bad, talk to your professor about what you can do to improve. Overall, communication with your professor and letting him or her know that you care is key when it comes to grade improvement. After all, it is the professor who gives the grade.
Learn effective note-taking. Note-taking is crucial to remembering information learned in class. To do this, go to class prepared; take a tape recorder if you want to review the lecture again later. Record all the information that you feel is important to know. Choose a note-taking method that is right for you, whether outline form, bullet points or highlighting words. Underline words you are not quite clear about, space the notes out so you can read them clearly and develop an abbreviation system so you can keep up with the professor. Date and number each lecture and keep the notes in order.
Clean up your notes once a week class by typing the notes into a word document. This is a good way to review your notes while arranging the information in a more cohesive manner. Do this once a week to ingrain all the information from that week.
Develop a study plan a week or two before each test. Stick to a study plan of a certain amount of hours per day. If it is an essay, then give yourself ample amount to research, write and edit. For example, if you have to write a five-page essay, give yourself five days to research ideas, evidence and references, two to three days to write the essay and three days to edit the essay. For projects and presentations, plan accordingly as well. Do not wait until the last minute. Working a few hours each day over a week or two should be sufficient time to do well on a presentation, test, project or essay.
Make flash cards while studying for each test. If it is an essay or project, make an outline and ask your professor to review. Practice rehearsing presentations with your friends.
Consult your teacher during her office hours. You should do this for anything you do not understand about the class. Moreover, it is especially recommended to see your professor for consulting at least once or twice before a big test or presentation or an important essay or project. She will provide direction for an essay or project and address any problems you have.
Work with a study group. Ask people in your class if they want to get together to study together. This helps clear up problems you may have, as well as giving you an idea of what other students think will be emphasized on the test. For essays, peer-editing helps in reducing content errors and in making the essay stronger.
Calculate your GPA at the end of the semester to see how much it has improved.
Consult with your academic adviser about what options you have for transferring to a more competitive school. If he thinks you need a higher GPA, then work hard for another semester and see where you stand after that.
Contact the more competitive school about transfer application requirements, deadlines and other information.
Apply for transfer to the more competitive school and wait for the acceptance response.