When it comes to doing well in school, your Grade Point Average or GPA is extremely important if you want to go to college after your high school graduation. If you are concerned because your GPA is possibly too low to attend college, there are strategies you can employ to help raise your GPA.

What Makes Up A GPA? - A student’s GPA is calculated based on adding up all of their grades and dividing that by the credit hours or units that were taken in school. A senior in high school would have a GPA based on the grades they received in the 9th through 12th grades in school.

If you want to help raise your GPA, then one way is to compare the grades you currently have with the grades you desire. So, if you say have a 2.5 GPA and want to raise it to at least 3.0, then you must figure out what grades you must receive in order to raise the average. To do this, you would have to get at least a B in all your classes.

Develop Better Study/Class Habits - If you want to do better in your classes in order to help raise your GPA, then you have to start with better study habits and coming to school prepared to work. Always come to class and take notes and pay attention. You can also ask to sit in the front row so you can be sure to be able to hear and see the teacher and easily ask questions if needed. Screwing up in class will only lower your GPA, not raise it.

After class you have to learn how to study better and develop a system to study every night. You can work with a tutor; create flash cards, and other methods of studying. You can also form your own study group and study together with other people, that way all of you will improve your grades. In some schools there is also online help on the Internet by teachers in the district that let students call in and ask questions.

Talk to Your Teachers - Find out from your teachers if there is any extra credit your can do so you can earn extra points that could be used to help raise your GPA. Perhaps they may know of a summer school program you can join in order to get more points to help you in your plan to bring up your average.

The bottom line is that if you want to raise your GPA it doesn’t happen by itself, you have to work for it.