College is an exciting time, but it can also be incredibly stressful. If you’re finding yourself overwhelmed by your work and underwhelmed by your grades, it may be time to reevaluate your situation. Here are six tips to help students who are struggling with their grades. 



Examine your work spaces and routines

If your struggles are present in all of your courses and areas of study, then you might have a problem with more than just the material in each given class. You should consider the possibility that you are not studying and working in the right ways.

Maintaining proper study habits means finding a quiet space to work — your school’s library is a great choice — and setting firm times to work. Equally important is to set aside times and places where you won’t work. You’ll sleep better and feel more relaxed if you don’t study in bed, for instance, and that will make you a better student all day long.

Find help online

In our connected world, there are lots of helpful student resources online. You can find study guides, general tips, copies of materials from similar courses at other schools, and more. You can even buy essays through Ultius online, which can help you access quality work and meet deadlines while focusing your time on studying for finals or other classes.

You’ll also find specific course materials, class discussion boards, and other online resources through your school. Be sure to check these outlets for information that can help you with your courses. 

Talk to your advisor

If you’re feeling overwhelmed and aren’t happy with your grades, your college advisor should be one of the first people you talk to. Your college advisor is there for precisely this reason: to advise! They’ll help you re-examine your course load and your strategies for success, and they could offer you tips on how to tackle the situation to graduate the semester with the best outcome possible.

Talk to your professor

Talking to your advisor can help you get great advice and strategies, but meeting with your course professor can benefit you even further. You can target your areas of confusion while also demonstrating that you care about the class in question and are willing to put in the work it takes to succeed. Your professor will see this and offer guidance and strategies to help you imprve your grade.

Cut back on the partying

College is a great academic opportunity, but it’s also a great place to develop a lively social life. If you’re partying too much, though, you could be hurting your academic performance. Remember that staying up late and drinking will disrupt your sleep schedule. In addition to just keeping you up late, partying can destroy the quality of your sleep, because alcohol is bad for restful sleep. Sleep is important to your mental sharpness, energy levels, and academic performance — and nobody does well on a test when hung over.

Get help for your mental health

College can be a lot of fun, but it isn’t always the easiest time. Our brains don’t always cooperate when we want them to help us stay productive and happy. The best way to respond to mood and stress issues is to make an investment in your mental health.

Turn to on-campus resources or seek out an off-campus therapist, psychologist, or psychiatrist. Working with a professional can help you lower stress and anxiety levels and respond to common mental health problems like depression and anxiety disorders. Such issues are common among college students and can really hurt your academic performance.

Good college grades are crucial to post-college success. If you’re struggling to keep them up, keep these tips in mind. Whether it’s an investment in an online solution, resorting to advisors and professors, or acknowledging deeper issues, your grades can and are bound to show improvement.