You Deserve An A In Class - Go For It!

Are you turning in sub-par school grades and reaching the point of despair? Stop beating yourself up and take action. While no one likes to fail, failure can lead to success if you act upon it. The key is to learn from your poor performance and use that knowledge to rise to the top.

Poor academic performance can result from any of these factors:

1) Failing to devote enough time to studying;

2) Poor study skills;

3) Poor time-management skills

4) Lack of enthusiasm for the subjects or a negative attitude;

5) Difficulty in understanding the material; or

6) Generally poor mental or physical health. Any one or combination of these shortcomings can lead to poor grades.

You can reverse poor performance by evaluating each of these major areas and assessing your strengths and weaknesses in each one. Here are some thoughts:

Study Time: It takes time and effort to get great grades. As a rule of thumb, most educators recommend that serious students - those who want superior results - devote at least 2.5 - 3 hours of study time per course for each hour spent in class each week. If you are an aspiring top performer, that commitment could work out to around 35 - 45 hours of study per week, in addition to the time spent in class - a full time job!

Study Skills: Good study skills cut the completion time for assignments while significantly improving retention. As you assess your study skills, focus on these key areas:

• Effective reading - are you pre-reading; deep-reading for important concepts and information; and reviewing what you have read?

• Quality note taking - do you take good notes in class and during your deep-reading? Notes should succinctly reflect key ideas, relationships, important developments, key people, key dates, etc.

• Writing essays - are you able to identify engaging topics, prepare useful essay outlines, stay on point with great insights and deliver persuasive conclusions?

• Problem solving - have you learned to quickly identify the problem? Starting with the information/situation that is given, are you able to develop alternative solutions and choose the best one?

• Prioritizing assignments: do you prioritize assignments? Large assignments should be broken into smaller parts. More difficult subjects should be allocated more time. Work on assignments should be scheduled such that all assignments are completed ahead of time and reviewed.

• Studying for tests: do you review your notes, develop and answer key questions, make a hit-list of important concepts, people, developments, dates, and use pre-test visualization to perform well?

Time management: This is really a misnomer. The goal of time management is to manage yourself so as to make better use of time. Skills such as goal setting, prioritizing, shutting down distractions and interruptions, delegating, and blocking out work time are all important time management skills.

Lack of enthusiasm: It is difficult to learn with a negative mind-set. Even if a subject is not your 'cup of tea', in the grand scheme of things it may be one of the stepping stones to your ultimate success. Work at staying positive. Quickly dispose of any negative thoughts. Keep your larger goal of performing well in mind.

Difficulty in understanding material: Get to know your instructors - they can be tremendous resources. Let them know that you are interested in their classes. If you are having trouble understanding things covered in class or in your reading, call or visit your instructor. Sometimes schools have tutoring services - if this will help, sign up. Another great resource is other students. They may understand a concept or point better than you.

Poor physical or mental health: Poor health of any kind can be an obstacle to learning. In this case, the best defense is a good offense. Make sure you eat properly and that you incorporate regular exercise into your daily routine. Most educators are quick to emphasis the importance of these two areas of health. If you have a physical or mental health concern, see a physician - you may be able to clip your problem in the bud and get back on track.

TV psychologist, Dr. Phil, once quipped that "insanity is when you do the same things over and over again, hoping for a different outcome". Don't let that happen to you. You can move from being a failure to being a success. By accepting and committing yourself to gleaning helpful information from your failure, you can use this information to get back on track. Be active.

Look closely at incorrect answers on tests or quizzes. Find out why any papers/essays are considered poor. Then make sure that you identify and understand the correct answers or shortcomings. Evaluate your study skills and look for ways to improve them. Lastly, top performance requires massive effort combined with a positive attitude. If you want great grades, make sure that you are willing to make some sacrifices.