How I Managed a 4.0 GPA

》Work/Life balance is hard to come by, let me show you how I managed!

》My freshman year in college, i barely managed a 2.8GPA. Life was hectic, and I was not an image of responsibility in any sense. By my sophomore year, I was able to completely turn it around and score my first 4.0 semester- all while renting my first home and managing bills for the first time in my life. Let's talk about it 👇

1. Credit hours: most students take 12-15 credit hours per semester. I opted for less, and extra summer classes. This was a personal preference, as I needed to prioritize work as well as school.

2. Note taking: Often a dreaded skill, taking effective notes is actually really easy. Prioritize writing information you won't easily remember, such as dates or key information. Use different methods to explore what works best for you in a given situation- my notes often change based on subject.

3. Journal keeping: A daily journal with my daily and weekly to-do lists helped me manage brain space more effectively! I love booking myself for study sessions and seeing the block on my calendar. When in a pinch, I also used my journal to write notes.

4. Instructor feedback: keeping an eye out for any instructor feedback is key! Try to identify any strengths or weaknesses in your work, and really exacerbate your strengths.

5. Stay on top of due dates: take time to check in on what's due *every single day.* It's a lot easier than emailing your teacher about a missed assignment.

》And, most importantly,

6. Passion over project: okay, what does that even mean?

In short, your passions and goals are more important than any 1 assignment in class. Aim to focus your work on things that genuinely excite you, even if they don't exactly "fit the rubric." As an extreme example, my freshman year of college I attended an art college under a graphic design track. As a final project in an art class, we were asked to focus on work that would reflect our major- fashion majors were expected to design a new line of clothes or create a wearable piece, animation students delivered storyboards or short gif animations. As a graphic design student expected to turn in a logo or UI design, I procured an illustrated piece with collage, digital art, and a focus on psychology. Why? I was more passionate about feeling lost in life than being a graphic design student. I got a 95!

By learning how to work with a rubric instead of within it, I've gained a skill of creativity and passion in my work. I often turn in projects a little "wrong," like creating a YouTube video essay instead of a narrated sideshow. If I'm worried it's too far, I just email the teacher before getting started. They're usually happy to let you deviate a bit from the prompt, so long as you're maintaining the lesson being taught in class. This makes school more fun for both me, and my professors as they get a break from repetitive content styles.

》So, TLDR:

Take notes, always check for assignments, communicate with your instructors, and deviate from the rules! Fuel your projects with passion, do them in a way that sounds fun to YOU!

》p.s. I dropped out the following semester <3

#gpa #collegeproductivity #collegetips #studytips