How can I raise my GPA?

How can I raise my gpa in college?

• I'm moving to hawaii for college, I want to be a dermatologist. BUT I can't get into the pre-med program yet because my gpa is low. I'm going to major in biology for now, until my gpa is high enough to get into the pre-med program.How can I raise it in college? The work will be hardand idk how i'm going to get a 3.68 gpa :( and I really want to be a dermatologist , it's my dream. But I don't want it to be impossible for me. Can anyone give me any helpful tips and stuff on how to get better grades?

• Answer:

  You don't need to be in a premed program to be a premed student. Just sign up for the right science and math classes. Premed programs are useful for the other parts of your application (MCAT prep, hospital experience, etc). But you can also do all of that on your own. Study smart, not hard. That means studying for 8 hours a day is not always the most effective way to use your time. Even after all of that studying, you still may not get the grade you desire. Here are my tips: - Go to class and pay attention. Those who go to class tend to pass. Speaking from experience, the classes I did worst in are the classes I didn't attend. - Get a tutor. Many schools have free tutorial centers for intro level classes. - Form a study group. Meet with them on a regular basis (like once a week). Study BEFORE you meet with the group, so that you can ask them good questions. - Go to office hours regularly. This is an excellent time to ask questions as well as getting to know your professor. - Read the textbook and take notes. Even if you have an excellent lecturer, the book can often fill in more gaps. - Do practice questions. These questions are beyond the ones that were assigned. Doing practice questions prepares you for the test. Do as many as you think you can do, then do some more. Consider investing in a solutions manual so you can see if you are correct. - Ask upperclassmen for advice. They've taken the same class with the same professors. They know what kind of questions the professor likes to ask, what the final curve was like, etc. - Do old exams. Professors often put up old exams so that you can see what types of questions they will ask. After you have done all your studying, do an old exam to see if there are any gaps in your knowledge. - Realize that high school doesn't matter. Your poor grades in high school don't automatically mean poor grades in college. You have a fresh start, so take advantage of that.