How to Get an A Plus

How to Get an ‘A’ Plus
And Never Worry About Your GPA Again

1. Make the decision to commit yourself to earning an ‘A’.
2. Attend and ask questions in each class.
3. Take good notes.
4. Know the syllabus inside and out, and adhere to its deadlines and policies.
5. Consider joining a study group, getting tutoring, or reviewing supplementary study material.
6. Stop by during the professor’s office hours for additional direction or assistance.
7. Work on assignments immediately to give you time to revise, revise, revise, and practice, practice, practice.
8. To prepare for every class, read the assigned chapter beforehand and note any questions.
9. After class, review anything you didn’t understand, look up answers to quizzes, and tackle the study guide.
10. Read everything. Highlight relevant material. Remember, if you get behind, it is too difficult to catch up.
11. Check the class (Internet) Web page often. Many professors put most of the news, events, and items of interest for students on this page.
12. You may need to work on your writing (communication skills) above all else. Get a writing handbook, style guide, and a good college dictionary.
13. Know your concepts, your terminology, and your facts.
14. Do extra credit assignments.
15. Set aside a regular study schedule and give yourself enough time to master the material. At a minimum, students are asked to study two hours a week for every hour in class.
16. Periodically review lecture notes and other study materials.
17. Use a semester/quarter planner.

To prepare for a test:

1. Review all reading and lecture notes, making an outline of important information.
2. Create a sample test, take it, and then go back and concentrate on your weak areas.
3. If you can’t seem to remember the material, write it, recite it, or think of associations which will help you remember during the test.

Recommended Resources:
The Chicago Manual of Style : The Essential Guide for Writers, Editors, and Publishers (14th Edition)
This weighty tome is the essential reference for all who work with words–writers, editors, proofreaders, copywriters, indexers, designers, publishers, and students. Discover who Ibid is, how to deftly avoid the split infinitive, and how to format your manuscripts to impress any professor or editor (no, putting it in a blue plastic folder is just not enough). The Chicago Manual of Style has set the editorial standard since 1906, providing consistent, systematic guidelines for writers, editors, proofreaders, indexers, copywriters, and publishers. With meticulous attention to usage–in punctuation, documentation, foreign languages, indexes, design, and typography–University of Chicago Press offers a reliable anchor of accuracy in a world chaotic with choices, variations, and egregious errors.