I have no idea how I’m gonna do it but i need a 3.8 to 4.0 average when i start college. How do you do that in classes that require essays like english or philosophy. You can’t get perfect grades in classes like that all the time. Can you? I understand getting that in math but in classes where you have to write subjective essays and stuff. Any advice?
As G-unit would say…
s-j-s-study.
In all seriousness though, to get perfect grades you have to talk to your teachers constantly, meet with them, get them to read your essays over and over. Make them so tired they want to give you an A.
Marking is so subjective the more you know the prof, the better you can do.
The sad thing is that even though I know this I… don’t get A’s 
Keep these points in mind.
-
No sex.
-
No drugs.
-
No rock’n’roll.
-
Oral sex is sex.
-
Alcohol is a drug.
-
Nine Inch Nails is not, technically, rock’n’roll. (Besides, Trent Reznor is the closest thing we have to God.)
-
Shower daily.
-
Shower alone.
-
Caffeine is not a drug, it’s a way of life.
-
Okay, some drugs.
-
Oral sex is not really really sex.
-
Beer is not a drug.
-
Rock’n’roll is good for you.
-
Aw, screw it. Have fun.
That was my first week at school.
Okay, it was my first day.
Okay, I made it all up.
Just don’t bury your head in your notebook, or your ass, and try to learn something. You only go to college once. Or, in my case, three or four times.
Cheat. That’s the only way to be sure. No, I’m not kidding.
But if you have to do it the hard way then what I’d advise above all else is practising your essay technique, your ability to arrange arguments so that they flow well and so that each aub-argument is distinct but nonetheless related to the rest. This is what I’m really good at. I don’t work particularly hard, I don’t get to know my tutors and professors very well, I don’t even do some of the stuff that I’m meant to do but I get consistently high marks for my essays simply because I know how to construct arguments well. This is a skill that applies to almost every subject so therefore is the best way to bring up your marks across the board. Don’t start the essay until you’ve read everything that you are meant to have read for it and plan your essays properly.
The other way of getting high marks is to defeat counterarguments. By this I mean that in an essay don’t just present your argument or knock down someone else’s and leave it at that. Look at your own argument and try to find weaknesses in it, particularly if ones are mentioned in the course. By defending your position against those counterarguments you are pretty much guaranteed a top grade.
This is very true, the more you know how to cater your arguments to the person who is marking it the better you will do. There’re always a thousand different ways of writing an argument, and style and tone can make a huge amount of difference to whether the marker will appreciate what you’re saying. As a general rule avoid angry rhetorical questions and anything ironic/sarcastic.
In my first week I was propositioned by a female politics and philosophy student who for some reason took a liking to me. I turned her down; she never spoke to me again. You have to be cruel to be kind.
My philosophy teacher seems to like essays with humour in them. 
What I’ve discovered about myself and writing essay’s is that the more time I allow myself the worst I do. For example, recently I decided to apply some self will and set aside sometime for an essay (something I don’t usually do). I had so many points to fit into the essay that I wrote too chaotically. I work better under pressure, which is why I always get better grades in exams than in coursework.
Humour, yes. Sarky bitchiness, no.
I’m not talking about allowing yourself more time, I’m talking about working on clarity and precision of argument. I don’t mean to sound arrogant but the fact is that I can say more in 50 words of argument than most people can in 500. That’s because I’ve worked at being able to write briefly and precisely. You say,
i.e. you lacked the precision and arrangement of ideas to be able to fit them all in, or work out which ones to discard. That’s not a matter of time, it’s a matter of focussing one’s argument and being clear. Most students use 3 setences where 1 well-phrased sentence would as effective and clear. Like I say, this applies regardless of whether you’re writing about astrophysics or the history of sculpture. See Orwell’s essay Politics and the English Language if you haven’t already.
But I can write effectively under pressure. This essay was noticeably of a lesser standard than previous ones. I think it had more to do with the fact that I was laid back in writing it. I’m not used to allowing myself time.
Actually studying works pretty well. Don’t turn things in late. Everything I don’t turn in late (or never) I get at the very least a 92 on, usually 100. Because of like 20 missing assignments I almost got a C in (honors) geometry.
Read ahead of the course corriculum. You will understand the material better.
Hello F(r)iends,
Hi sjstudy, do you really have to get a perfect 4.0? Because if you don’t have a scholarship riding on your grades, then don’t worry about getting a perfect grade; rather, FOCUS ON LEARNING! So many of my wife’s students go for the “A” rather than to actually gain a long-lasting grasp and understanding of the material. Truly use your time to learn and stop freaking out about the grades. If you learn vs. getting the “A” then you will have a foundation of knowledge that may lead to confidence in your ability to perform in the real world.
If you have to get the 4.0 then I suggest the following:
-
If you are living at home and you don’t have to work, don’t get a job!! If you have to work, work as little as possible.
-
Take your time–take as long as you possibly can to graduate. I would say never take more than four classes. If possible, take only three courses at a time. This will help you learn, and you will not be overwhelmed with the workload. Rushing to graduate is a sure way to rush into a “B”.
-
Plan out every detail of your graduating courses as early as possible. This way you can dictate how many “difficult” classes you take at the same time. You don’t want to be stuck with four classes that each require all of your attention. Rather take 2 hard classes, 2 easy classes, or take 1 hard, 1 medium, and 2 easy. Also, don’t wait until the last semester to take the hardest of hard classes. That’s really bad.
Good luck,
-Thirst
sjstudy, you need to get out of ILP fast. This is a place where you would lose newly impreganented brain sparkle in subjects such as Gaussian matrix, for some quarrell over a divine being above that doesn’t even exist. It’d be an utter greek tragedy unless your presence here results in you falling in love with Nietzsche. My advise for scoring highly in exames is foremostly, using past examination papers to construct a ciriculum for yourself. Don’t waist time in going to lessons or doing homework, those irrelevant stuff are created by your teachers who’re paranoid of losing their job. Examiation papers, shall be your one and only teacher. Is it possible to study high school mathematics in two weeks and get A? Believe in it son, as long as you will, you will. Examination papers, use them to wipe your mouth, blow your nose, rub your ass, put them under your pillow and sleep on them. Dream about them. Then what’s gona happen when the exame day comes, is that you walk into the hall ten minutes late with a lolipop in your hand, and comes out twenty minutes earlier than everybody else with the same lolipop. What you feel? You feel like you’ve got the forced instutionalisation of young people stomped under your feet. You feel you’ve beaten modern society with your own hands. Note, this general advise is for people of mediocre intellect, i.e. most people. If you count yourself a smart one, then try get an A in a certain subject after studying it for three years nonstop the ascetic style. Most people I know don’t tell direction no more after having emerged out of a 45 minute algebra or physics classroom. Years of study for them are a waist of life. Don’t waist yours. If you are dim, then just go for a course in Mason or Surfing. If you are dim but still ambitious like me, then whatever course you do, employ the examination paper strategy upon it.
MM!! Biggest thing (for me at least) is…
don’t sit in the back. Especially last period, especially if you don’t like that class.
This is great advice. I’d add to it only that you should try taking one depressing course per semester; like, say, 20th century lit, anything on existentialism, 20th century drama, etc… Otherwise you can crash and burn like me, where it generally takes about a semester, semester and a half, of recovery time before I can go back and take more abuse.
You want to write good essays? Have you considered buying a book on essay writing? Why not? What’s the harm? You can even find many articles written online, from usually college professors, on what they look for and expect from students in their essays. Even, “How to Write a Philosophy paper,” etc…
And really. . . go with Thirst’s advice, don’t rush graduation; don’t overload yourself with classes; be there not just for the A, but to learn.
Oh, and I almost forgot, every once and a while, look up and enjoy collegian life; you don’t have to touch, that may be too much if your going for the 4.0, but you should have time to at least look and sigh. Touching got me a 3.9008. Blimey!