Study Strategies to Maintain GPA in The Age of Coronavirus

For Many Students, Covid-19 Has Caused Their GPA To Take A Hit…

With widespread school closures affecting students from around the world, many parents are now beginning to wonder what they can do to help their students maintain their grades. In these times, it can begin to feel as if keeping their grades high is all a student can do to truly move toward their future academic goals.

In this article, we’ll go in-depth on study solutions your child can use to maintain their grades through distance learning without having to pull their hair out.

The Current State Of Covid-19

As we learn more about the coronavirus, including the severity of the disease and the exact way that it spreads, colleges are beginning to take more action to combat the curve than many initially expected. While every college is making its own choices regarding bringing students back to campus for the Fall 2020 semester, the majority of colleges have begun forming solid plans for continuing education.

Because of this, students will need to keep up with their intended college and their plans. Students need to keep a careful eye on their emails from the school, social media, and the college’s website. Once your child’s college has outlined a solid plan, you can begin to work around that plan to help them prepare for their first step into college.

How Covid-19 Is Affecting Student’s Grades

Due to Covid-19 causing worldwide school closures, students from around the world are all beginning to suffer the seen (and unforeseen) consequences of losing face-to-face interaction and in-person education. From lower grades to poorer moods, parents are faced with challenges as they try to adjust their children to distance learning.

Many high schools and colleges are adjusting the way they handle students’ GPAs due to the challenges posed by the coronavirus. From colleges turning their classes into pass/fail to extended deadlines and grade curves, schools are offering solutions to the challenges that your child can take advantage of to maintain their GPA.

5 Ways To Maintain A High GPA Amid The Coronavirus

CREATE STRUCTURE

One of the best ways that high school prepares students for college and the real-world is through a daily routine. When students lose that routine and find themselves stuck at home, where it’s extremely easy to spend the day binging Netflix, it can lead to the development of nasty habits like procrastination and poor time management.

Creating a school-like daily routine can help your child maintain their GPA as well as their good habits. Encourage your child to break their schoolwork into chunks of time with plenty of space between to enjoy the fact that they’re at home! Encourage taking naps between video classes, going outside for a walk before doing homework, or watching a quick rerun of Wheel of Fortune with the family before classes. While it’s important to keep up with their schoolwork during normal school hours, taking the time to rest and recharge is important too!

STUDY SMARTER, NOT HARDER

Make sure your child is using a study method that works for them rather than for their teacher, peers, or common practice. Every student learns using different methods. Some will prefer to write everything down, and even those students are divided between those who only use black ink and those who color-code their notes.

One way your child can make use of their extra time and energy is by finding the study methods that will benefit them the most in college. Set aside extra time for studying every day. By knowing what type of note-taker and studier they are, your child can be better prepared for their first semester of college while still being able to maintain their high school GPA.

PRACTICING PATIENCE

It’s easy for your child to get caught up in what they “should” be doing and forget the fact that everyone is going through challenges because of Covid-19 and the school closures caused by it. The more your child exercises patience, with themselves and everything else, the less stressed out they will become.

This extends to their schoolwork and their grades. Set aside plenty of time for schoolwork, and make sure you support them patiently and help where you can. A bit of kindness and an offer to help can go a long way toward helping your child maintain their academic record and lower their stress.

USE OUTSIDE SOURCES

Especially when distance learning, sometimes the way a teacher explains a subject just won’t “click” for your child. In these cases, especially in math or science, it can help to turn to other outside sources for another look at the subject. While your child should never seek out the answers or try to cheat using the Internet, it can be an extremely useful tool for understanding the core concepts that your child struggles with.

When your child begins to use outside sources like Youtube videos, guides, books, and expert interviews they can begin to build a clearer picture of a subject and become genuinely interested in it. When this happens, a student can take more control over their grades, and enjoy learning all at the same time!

CONNECT WITH A TUTOR

In the end, sometimes it helps to have a one-on-one connection with someone who can personally teach your child the material that’s giving them trouble. Even though a physical meeting with a tutor may not be possible, video chatting or calling can still get your child the help they need to maintain their grades. With school closures causing widespread issues, many schools are stepping in to boost their tutor programs and make sure students get the one-on-one help they need.

Students Can Still Thrive

Overall, there are many traditional study strategies and grade raising tips that still hold true even in the age of coronavirus. Students should make sure to take care of their mental and physical health before anything else, as it’s difficult to maintain grades with poor health. Beyond this, making sure to pay attention in classes, even over video chat, and take notes are the very basics.

Yet, in these uncertain times, even the basics can be hard to achieve. Our counselors are here to help when it seems as if all your student can do is log in for their classes and log out for the day. We are here to help guide our students through these uncertain times, by providing the support and resources they need to keep their grades up and get into college.

To reach this goal, we’ve set up a webinar where you can hear all about how we’re facing the challenges brought by Covid-19 head-on. If you want to learn more about how your child can prepare for their future in college during these uncertain times, sign up for our next webinar to hear more!