With every Fall Semester comes a Fall Semester GPA. For many college students, finals week was the first time textbooks were opened, notes were written, and libraries were visited. 

Because of this sad reality, your GPA was lower than even you expected it to be. While you're still telling your parents that "grades haven't been posted," consider these five steps in insuring that your Spring GPA is four times higher than the Fall. Kristen Wiig just gets it.

1. Attend class regularly. If you begin the semester by telling yourself that every class must be attended, regardless of attendance policies, your likelihood of doing well in the course increases by 45% (statistics made up by me).

2. Take good notes. I know you've probably heard this one before, but it's really true. Even if a professor posts the slides to Blackboard, it's still important to begin the semester by writing down supplemental notes to ensure nothing is missed. LISTEN!

3. Study a little every day. There's a reason Bethany who sits on the front row, answers every questions the professor asks, and studies every waking minute does so well. Take twenty minutes each day to go over what the professor said and engrain it in your mind so that when studying time comes, you aren't scrambling to cram. Sometimes it pays to pay attention.

4. Don't go out every night. Not gonna lie, I cringed a little when I wrote this one. It's especially hard to follow this rule when you return to school and are finally getting to see your friends after such a long break. What helps me is I choose two nights a week that I don't have an early class the next day. By limiting my going out, I save money, and my grades reflect my decision.

5. Enjoy your classes. Turn off your cell phone, log out of Twitter, and forget skipping class. Get invested in what you're studying. 300% of students claim that getting involved in classroom discussions improves their grades tenfold. Ask questions, stay awake, and engage yourself in dialogue that will not only make your presence known to your professor, but also make the information second-hand when it comes time to prepare for that dreaded final.

These steps are probably something you've heard from your parents and subsequently ignored countless times. If anything, take it from someone who has seen the effects of these steps, and I can personally say my BAC will hopefully never match my GPA ever again.