Improving your GPA and enhancing your career path.

July 19, 2012 - PRLog -- Your GPA is your grade point average that is calculated by two things, the total amount of points you've earned over the total amount of credits you have taken. Your institutional GPA counts for the credits earned at your university. There is a semester GPA which is based on the credits you've earned each semester.There is also a cumulative or overall GPA for the total amount of work that you have completed during your college career. As with most college students, you can start out with a very high GPA and as you take more classes, your GPA may tend to fluctuate. Before you know it, your 3.5 has fallen to a 3.0. So what can be done about this? Students often wait until it is too late to take action, leaving college not knowing that there were things that could have been done. Here are a few tips on how to raise your GPA before you graduate.
Take difficult courses first

If you are dreading those few math requirements you have to take, don't leave it until last. Take all of your difficult courses, first. Students often apply themselves to course work at the beginning of their college year, getting more tired and loosing focus toward the end of their college careers. Taking difficult courses early will also give you a chance to raise your GPA , later on, when you've made room for your easier course work.

Enroll in the summer semester

While many students choose to take their summer off, this can cause you to loose valuable time that could be spent raising your GPA. Enrolling in a few classes during the summer semester, gives you more credits to raise your GPA . It also keeps you up to speed for fall and summer semesters. Taking a remedial math course, for example, in the summer, not only gives you extra credits to count toward your GPA, it also can act as math prep for that fall Algebra course that you have been dreading.

Take elective courses

Just because you are an economics major, doesn't mean you can't take a few art courses to raise that GPA. Taking elective courses can be another great way to earn credit outside of your required course load. When choosing your electives, rather than taking another major-related course, try registering for a course that you may already have a mastery of. This can help you earn credit for taking courses that might be easier for you to earn credit in.

Take competency exams

Competency exams such as , CLEP and DSST exams, allow you to earn college credit for passing their subject exams. This allows students who already have mastery of a course to "test out" of required course work. This is a quick way to raise your GPA by earning credit for material that you already know.

Complete post graduate work

If you have already graduated but you feel as though you are still not ready to apply to law or medical school, then taking on some post graduate work could be just the solution. This can offer you a chance to redeem your grades and prove, through exceptional GRE scores and other graduate course work, that you are ready for these professional school's program.

You don't have to settle for a low GPA score. By taking on extra course work and programs, you can find ways to improve your average and get into the graduate
schools that you want to.

Two best tips on improving your career path because great GPA doesn't act alone:

1. Attitude
When it comes to attitude I have always championed that you can define your attitude as one of pride, passion and belief. In everything that you do, do it with pride, passion and belief. And remember to back these up with skills and knowledge, direction and action.

Let’s take these further. To enhance your career, hardworking, humility and honesty is essential. Hardworking is fairly straightforward. It just means nothing comes easy. There are no rewards in the working world that comes without hard work. In fact, there is nothing in life that comes without hard work.

Humility comes with maturity. When you know you do not know enough then you begin to be a student again. You will want to enhance your skills and knowledge, which will in turn enhance your career.

Do you conduct your work honestly? How do you deal with your colleagues? Is it with integrity? Do you admit to your mistakes and not blame anyone for it? Honesty is not just about dealing with others. It is also being honest with yourself.

Can you face your own ghost? Are you afraid to face your weaknesses without being defensive? Are you afraid to confront your lack of strengths? Being honest with yourself leads to an awareness. Step one to enhance your career is to define your attitude.

2. Awareness
An awareness of your strengths and weaknesses is a necessary step if you want to enhance your career. This awareness is one that is self-reflective. One that makes you feel a sense of inadequacy. This sense of inadequacy creates an intrinsic need for improvement.

The energy generated from this awareness is a positive energy that propels you with the confidence to improve.

If you want to enhance your career, ask yourself - do you have this awareness? One that is clear about where you are, why are you there, where you can be and how do you get there? An awareness of the need to improve and an awareness of what you truly want is a simple strategy that can enhance your career. But how many of us can truly claim that we have this awareness? And how many can claim, with this awareness there is an action that works on it?

Many sit around all day lamenting why are they not progressing? They feel unappreciated.

Hard work is not being rewarded. Let me point out something. According to the Webster’s Universal College Dictionary - appreciate is to be fully conscious of; be aware of. If you want to be appreciated, start appreciating your strengths and weaknesses. Then only can you begin to talk about how to enhance your career.