How I Maintain a 4.0 GPA during COVID-19 (And How You Can Too)
Tried methods that will boost your success in online schooling
I have two siblings that both struggled with school this last semester due to the shift to online courses because of COVID-19. They had a hard time engaging themselves with the material, completing homework, and getting into the groove that is needed to sail through a successful semester.
I felt bad because I know, and they know, that they can do better. They are smart kids that have always performed well academically in the past.
The more I asked around, the more I realized that my siblings were not isolated cases — not by any means. Students everywhere have had a difficult time juggling school amid the current pandemic, resulting in a decrease of learning and performance.
On the other hand, this last semester of college was one of the least stressful and most successful semesters I’ve had yet. It was certainly a trial-and-error process, but I was able to effectively optimize my routine and study habits in order to keep a 4.0 GPA with my stress levels low and a healthy balance with my social life.
I say this not to boast but to show that it is possible to use online schooling to your advantage and thrive during the pandemic.
To help those of you who might be struggling in school, particularly online school, I want to share what I have learned this last semester.
I understand your school experience depends a lot on your major, course load, and school you attend, so I will keep my suggestions general so they can be applicable and accessible to all.
Establish an Effective Routine
The biggest thing you can do to propel your success in school is to get the right routine going. And when I say the right routine, I mean it. Get up early, exercise, meditate, do what you have to do every day to prime your brain and body for school.
The more consistent you are with your routine, the easier it becomes to do what you’re supposed to do at the time you’re supposed to do it.
It’s easy to go with the motions with online school — especially because you spend more time in the comfort of your home — so take extra time to carefully plan out your schedule.
This will be the basis for the rest of the tips I talk about today and will make the biggest difference for your performance in school.
Put in Effort (Real Effort)
This should be obvious, and I don’t mean to suggest that you haven’t been working hard, but let me elaborate.
Many students struggle in school during the pandemic because they aren’t forced to go to class. Less effort is simply required to attend and be “engaged” in class.
Let’s be real: College students are constantly trying to do things with the bare minimum effort required.
Before the pandemic, the minimal required effort was at least to get out of bed, get dressed, travel to campus, and sit in your classroom with your teacher mere feet away from you.
Now, all you have to do is set your alarm for 8:59am, roll over, pick up your laptop, and zoom into your lecture without the camera or microphone on, and scroll on your phone while your lecture is on.
This lower amount of required effort can make you much less engaged in lectures than if when you attend classes in person. So, it’s on you to put in that extra effort to make our classroom lectures more meaningful.
Mindlessly listening to a lecture while you sit on the couch watching TV with your roommates will not cut it if you want to maintain good grades.
Get dressed, sit at a desk, and have your notebook next to you. If possible, go to the library or find a quiet place where you can be alone to do your schoolwork. By eliminating distractions, you create an environment more conducive for focus, attention, and effort. You will learn the material better.
Understand The False Reality of Learning Styles
I’ve heard a plethora of students that have complained about the online system because that’s not their “learning style.” It’s true, we now have to read and screen-watch more than listening to someone speak and demonstrate.
Unfortunately, this is not an excuse.
Research shows that learning styles are not as prevalent as you may think. An article from The Atlantic shares the results of a study that concludes:
“Not only did students not study in ways that seemed to reflect their learning style, but those who did tailor their studying to suit their style didn’t do any better on their tests.”
We are not predisposed to learn better by a certain way. What matters is how we engage ourselves in that learning. That is what makes the difference.
If you don’t believe you will learn well by completing schoolwork online, you will not learn well. When you believe, you achieve. (It’s corny, I know, but it’s true.)
It is your responsibility to learn; not anyone else’s. You cannot depend on certain material to be engaging before you decide to engage yourself. If you are confident in your ability to figure things out, you will perform better in school.
The type of learning that works is whatever you make work.
Understanding this principle is critical for you to take responsibility for your own learning and get rid of excuses that are holding you back.
Use Online Flexibility to Your Advantage
One immense benefit of online school is the ability to save a truckload of time — if you do it right.
Think about all the time you can save by:
- Not having to travel to and from class
- Being able to watch pre-recorded lectures at 2x speed
- Completing homework when it is most effective for YOU
This is an incredibly flexible system that you can and should use to your benefit.
Several of my classes were completely online, meaning that you never had to meet on a live zoom call or attend class in person. This enabled me to, as the semester progressed, complete lectures and homework at a faster pace. If I had extra time after completing other classwork, I would often bust out another lecture for one of my easier classes, slowly getting further and further ahead
By the end of the semester, I was done with my lectures and classwork an entire week before finals even started.
I used the extra time to get a jump start on studying for finals, which was a tremendous help! I felt more than prepared for all my exams.
The method I used to get ahead will be explained next.
Order Your Work From Most Intellectually Challenging to Least
This was HUGE in helping me stay productive throughout the entire day.
The gist is to work on the hardest, most important, and most intellectually-engaging schoolwork first. Just get it out of the way. Then, work on the next most important work, then on and on until, by the end of the day, you are doing the easiest work you have.
I have found that I, among other students, tend to prioritize little assignments. Yes, we are getting needed homework done, but let’s be honest: we’re really just procrastinating the assignments we should be working on.
Scheduling your homework to get progressively easier throughout the day will make you more likely to complete it. Here’s an example:
Let’s say in one day you had to write a long research paper, watch one 45-minute lecture, and read a short article.
If you watch the lecture and read the article first, your brain may get tired enough to eradicate your motivation to work on — let alone complete — the research paper (after all, who wants to write a long paper when they are already tired?).
While you may still be completing homework, you will not feel as productive — because you know that you have not done the most important thing yet.
On the other hand, let’s say you use the bulk of your brain power to bust out the paper first. When you complete it, you will get an immense rush of dopamine and confidence because you have finished the most important task of the day.
All of a sudden, a quick 45-minute lecture seems more doable — you still don’t want to do it, mind you, but you will certainly have more motivation to push through because it requires less energy.
After the lecture, all you have left is to read a short article and you’re done!
There’s no need to waste optimal brain power on tasks of little importance, so make significant progress on projects and papers before you spend time on readings and other assignments.
This is an effective principle for anything in life; not just schoolwork. Finish your most important tasks when you are fresh and save your menial tasks for when you are more spent. The lower energy you have will balance out with the lower energy required for the smaller task.
Do this consistently and you will get ahead, not just in school, but in life.
Find An Effective Place to Study
This can be especially challenging during the pandemic, which proves the need to put in the necessary effort to make it happen.
With campuses and classrooms closed, I have seen a lot of students study in their apartments or homes much more. I did that quite a bit last semester and found it productive for some time.
However, I live with 5 other guys, all of whom I am good friends with. As the semester progressed, I noticed that it was getting harder and harder for me to focus entirely on my schoolwork for the amount of time that was needed — it was simply too easy to hang out with my roommates instead of do homework.
Luckily, my campus library is open (as long as you wear a mask). So, I started doing the bulk of my studying in the library instead.
This environment was much better in providing a quiet environment that encouraged studying.
This made a big difference, not only in my schoolwork, but in my mindset. When I was at the library, it was homework time. When I was in the apartment, it was fun time. There was a separation there.
This separation enabled me to wholeheartedly focus on what I was supposed to at the right time and added balance between my school and social life.
All of that was my long way of saying, find a productive environment for you to do your work. You will have more focus in your studies and presence in your other activities throughout the day.
The Bottom Line
I hope this helps provide clarity on important habits to cultivate in order to succeed in your studies during COVID-19. As a summary, here are the main points:
- Put in real effort to offset the lower amount of effort required to function in school
- Take responsibility for your learning by understanding the false reality of learning styles
- Use online flexibility to your advantage to get work done faster and at a time most convenient for you
- Optimize your brain energy by ordering your work from most intellectually challenging to least
- Find an effective place to study that frees you from distraction and encourages focus
I wish you the best of luck this upcoming semester in your studies and in your life. If you have other suggestions that have helped you, respond below so we can help others as well!
