As school winds down, most of us would rather call it quits than work on one more essay, much less pick up that extra credit assignment. But, the difference between an A and a B, or a B and a C, can really matter when it comes to nursing school applications, graduate school applications or your overall satisfaction with how much you learned in a particular class.
If you’re thinking about if you can raise that one grade to the next level in such a short time, consider these tips:
Is it even possible?
Before you spend a lot of time on extra credit assignments or put five extra hours into studying for that test, go on D2L and check your grade. Most professors will post an estimated grade, as well as how many points out of a possible number that you have. Check and see how many points are left. Do some math and figure out how many of these points you need to raise your grade.
In some cases, you may find that even if you get 100 percent on every assignment left, you can’t raise your grade. If that happens, put most of your effort into other classes where you have a chance to raise the grade. This doesn’t mean you have to completely give up, but if there’s a choice between spending an extra hour on one class or another, pick the one you have a better chance of.
What’s your performance been like so far?
Have you attended class nearly every day? Have you turned in most or all of your assignments? Do you participate and ask questions?
If you can answer yes to all of these questions, your professors will be far more likely to offer your extra credit opportunities or help you correct your next essay before you turn it in. You just need to ask for some extra opportunities.
If you’re unsure of what to say, try this: “I believe I’ve put forth my best effort in this class, and getting an (insert grade) is really important to me. What can I do to raise my grade?”
Visit the TLC
The Tutorial Learning Center (TLC) is a valuable on-campus resource, and if you really need a great grade on your next exam or essay, don’t hesitate to stop by. Tutors are willing to help you with every subject, and often even spending an hour with a tutor will make a huge difference to what you understand, as well as how confident you are going into your next important assignment.
In addition, some professors of general education courses will offer extra credit for getting a paper edited at the TLC. If you’re willing to put in a little extra time, you may not only get a better grade on your essay, but also some extra credit on top of that.
Form a study group
If you haven’t already, now is the time to reach out to fellow classmates and ask them to help you study. If there’s someone who’s been doing especially well in the class, they may be willing to pass along some of their study tips and help you do better on the next exam.
However, make sure your group actually intends to study. If you’re really trying to raise your grade, the last thing you need is a group of people that prove to be more distracting than helpful. Pick your study buddies carefully.
Just ask
If you need some extra credit work, ask. The worst your professor will say is no.
If you’ve done everything and are really close to that next letter grade, ask if they’ll round up. Again, the worst they can say is no.
Asking costs you almost no time, takes almost no effort and may result in a very positive consequence for your grade.
