Top Tips from Dr. Lloyd for Earning Better Grades
Four to talk about with your child and one suggestion for you:
- Treat the semester like a training plan for running a half marathon: Work on classes
several days of the week, take rests, and use practice "races" (e.g., quizzes) to
figure out what is working and what is not. Just as one doesn't feel well if they
rest 6 days then try to run all 10 miles for the week on one day, cramming doesn't
feel good nor does it help the memory perform well.
- Ask for help! Start with seeing your professor in office hours. For the most part,
professors at Seton Hall love teaching and want students to do well. We can be so
much more helpful when problems are detected early. It is also a great idea to use
resources like the ARC or Tutors-In-Residence. Where I went for my undergraduate degree,
the average grade of a student who went to tutoring was an A-.
- Don't go to class, BE in class. Ask questions, take handwritten notes (studies show
it is better for later memory), and preview recent material before a lecture starts
to warm up the brain. In addition to helping your memory, this will also help make
a positive impression on the professor.
- Take care of the rest of oneself as well: Eat fruits and vegetables, have a regular
sleep schedule, use coffee strategically, and get in workouts in our beautiful fitness
center.
- If sending a care package of school supplies, say NO to highlighters, which are fun but not functional. Instead, choose note cards for making flashcards, a planner to schedule times to regularly review material, stickers (just because they are motivating and rare on college work), and a gift card for Dunkin Donuts to buy coffee and a banana (see item #4).
Dr. Lloyd is an Associate Professor in the Psychology Department. She regularly teaching statistics, research methods, and Journey of Transformation and is always happy to meet with students to help improve class performance. Feel free to reach her at marianne.lloyd@shu.edu.