How to Use Summer School to Raise Existing Grades

Most people think of summer school as a way for students to repeat classes they've failed during the regular school year. However, it's also possible to use summer classes to raise your existing grades. By taking a few easy summer courses you can raise your GPA and improve your standing as a student.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Enroll in the easiest summer school classes you can find to help raise your existing grades. Instead of taking a course in advanced statistics, take public speaking. Try to find classes that will take the least amount of work to earn your course credits.

2. Study your course syllabus to get a firm idea of everything that will be expected of you during the summer school classes. Some professors may require more in the way of research papers than exams, meaning you'll have to spend more time in the library in addition to your time in the classroom.

3. Give yourself plenty of time to study and prepare for your classes. Summer classes may meet less frequently as a result of the shortened semester term, but be prepared to spend more time in each class session. It's best to grant yourself an entire day for each course, divided between classroom and study times.

4. Found a study group with some of the other students in the class. Pool your resources to make sure you all pass the class and raise your existing grade point averages. To get the most out of your study group, try inviting some of the smarter kids from your class.

5. Establish a personal relationship with the course instructor. By getting to know the professor on a personal level, they'll be more likely to cut you slack throughout the course. Let them know that you take the class seriously and you plan to work your hardest.

6. Drop a hard summer class as soon as you get a feeling that it might do more harm than good to your existing grade point average. If a course is too hard for you to earn high marks, replace it with another, easier class. Use the course listings and the drop/add dates to manage your class schedules.

Tips & Warnings

• Use online summer school classes as a modern alternative to regular courses. By taking a class online, you'll spend less time in a classroom and have more of your precious summer days to yourself. Not all universities offer online courses.
• Use the advice of teachers in your department and fellow students to get an idea of which summer classes might be best to take.
• Not all summer school classes will count towards your degree requirement. While you might be able to find an easy class to help raise your grades, you'll need to make sure that it will help to complete your degree before you enroll.

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