Your GPA is your grade point average. It’s a calculation of the average scores you receive in your courses.
The standard GPA system is a rating between 0-4, with 0 being the lowest average (failing grades) and 4 being the highest (top grades). Some schools will show your GPA as a percentage between 0-100%, and some will present it in the form of a letter grade from A-F. Whatever style of measurement your school uses, the purpose remains the same: it serves as proof of your overall academic performance.
A high GPA is essential for entering certain university and college programs, while a low GPA can drastically limit your post-secondary options. The good news is that you can raise your GPA throughout your school year. How?
Participate:
Participation will make up a considerable part of every class grade. If you don’t attend classes, let alone actively participate in them, you might find that your final grades are lower than you’d like. So, try to keep up your attendance. Don’t skip a class unless it’s absolutely necessary.
Some students can’t attend classes every day. They have busy extracurricular schedules, their families take frequent trips abroad, or they get sick often. So, what can you do if perfect attendance isn’t attainable? You could try a schooling alternative.
An accredited online school will not have a strict schedule, which means you won’t be docked marks for attendance. You will also have up to 12 months to complete a course, which means you can take as long as you need to tackle the workload.
Upgrade Your Old Marks:
Did you know that you can retake courses to improve your grades? Online school allows you to take courses like grade 12 advanced functions all over again. Since you’ve already taken the course, you’ll have a better foundation of the coursework, which will make it easier to take in the material and complete assignments. This will give you a better chance of boosting your grade.
Take the Right Course Type:
High school will offer a variety of course “types,” particularly for students in grades 11 and 12. You will see the following course types in the high school curriculum:
- University preparation course
- College preparation course
- University/College preparation course
- Workplace preparation course
University preparation courses are designed to help students meet the general application standards of university programs. They also focus on theoretical elements of the subject over practical elements. This can make the subject more difficult to grasp for struggling students. A college preparation course will focus on practical elements and may be easier to grasp.
Your grades will suffer when you sign up for courses that aren’t the right fit for you. If you have a lot of trouble in university preparation courses and your grades are very low, you should consider changing to the college preparation versions instead. This type of course could be a better fit.
Just know that college preparation courses are designed to meet the application standards of college programs. If you intend to apply to a university program, your college preparation courses could be an obstacle — this is mainly if the course is listed as a prerequisite for the program that you are applying to.
Don’t let this potential problem scare you from college preparation courses. Having a poor GPA because you’re forcing yourself to take certain course types will also have an impact on your post-secondary applications.
Your GPA isn’t set in stone. You have the power to raise it this year.