Academic Success

1. Academic Success KappaDelta Sorority

2. AX Chairs, insert specific info About your chapter’s academic requirements. Requirements for New Members

3. GPA: How to Keep It Up! • Go to class • When you skip class, you miss out on important things like detailed verbal explanations that are key to understanding the material, the chance to ask questions and opportunities for extra credit. • Take notes by hand • The problem with printing out a professor’s PowerPoints or typing notes onto a laptop is that it’s mindless. Taking notes by hand will improve your grades because it forces you to pay attention, and the physical act of writing aids memorization. If you take notes, you’ll find it much easier to stay engaged. • Prioritize • It can be hard to put a paper before a party, but prioritization is often the difference between an A and a B. Putting school first puts you on track for a high GPA.

4. Take a full course load, but level it out • For every hard class you take, balance it with a lower-level class or an elective. You’re much more likely to have a successful semester with 3 hard classes and 2 electives than taking 5 hard classes all at once. • Online homework • Some courses allow you check your answers after turning in online assignments. Use this tool to your advantage and make exam study sheets! GPA: How to Keep It Up!

5. The impact of a low first-year GPA This student started her college career with a low GPA. Even though she made a 3.0 or higher for the next three years, she was never able to break a 3.0 Cumulative GPA because she did not start on a good note. Because this student started strong, she was able to maintain a high GPA throughout her four years of college. Note that after the first year, both of these students earned the same grades for their last three years of college. Even with identical GPAs for their sophomore, junior and senior years, their initial GPAs made a big difference in the end.

6. When to drop a class • You should only consider dropping a class after you’ve exhausted your other options – talk to your professor during office hours, form study groups and make sure you’re attending every class. • If you’ve tried everything and you’re still doing poorly in a class, it might be wise to drop it. • Know what the final drop date is. Mark it on your calendar so you have plenty of time to make the decision.

7. When to not drop a class • Dropping a class should be a last resort, not a quick fix. • Ask yourself the following questions: • Am I attending every class? • Do I put my academic responsibilitiesbefore my social calendar? • Have I visited my professor during office hours to talk about ways to improve? • Have I talked to my academic advisor about the course and ways to improve? • If you answered ‘‘no,’’ you’re not in the best position to consider dropping the class.

8. Every school has a different Academic Forgiveness policy. • Some universities allow students to re-take a course in which they received a low grade. They do not earn additional credit hours, but their new grade replaces the old one on their final transcript. • Find out your school’s Academic Forgiveness policy so that you may use it to your advantage! • Rememberthough: AcademicForgivenessshould not be an excuse to do poorly in a class, and atmanyuniversitiesitcanonlybeused a limitednumber of times. Academic Forgiveness

9. Academic Resources On Campus • Insert your school’s academic resources, such as the library, study groups, tutor tables, etc. • Include information about campus study centers • Point out good places to study, getmaterials, etc. on campus.

10. Kappa Delta Academic Resources • AX Chair, insert information about study guides, quiet hours, study rooms, computers, sisterhoodlibrary hours, professor files, sisters’ academic support groups, etc.

11. AX Chair, insert information about Kappa Delta scholarships, local scholarships and campus scholarships The Reward for Academic Success

12. Be Confident in YourAcademic Success KappaDelta Sorority