My Number One Tip for Getting Better Grades

There are many articles out there on how to get better grades. Some recommend pulling all-nighters or sleeping with your textbook under your pillow. Even 5 Minute Crafts has “study tips” videos on YouTube that just teach you ridiculous ways to cheat. I don’t recommend any of those methods for doing well in school, especially anything that involves cheating.

However, there is one full-proof method for getting better grades I could (and do) preach about all day:

Proofreading.

Even if you finish your homework and turn it in on time, you’re missing a huge step if you aren’t taking the time to proofread. You can, and should, proofread every homework assignment you turn in.

Proofread your PowerPoints for your presentations. Double-check your math homework. Proofread your code. And please proofread your writing for the love of your grades and your teacher’s sanity.

Why can proofreading get you better grades?

Proofreading is the easiest way to get better grades. As you proofread, you catch simple errors that result in lost assignment points. At the end of a semester, 5 or 10 points off each assignment adds up!

You don’t have to be good in school or great at writing (or coding or math) to catch simple errors. Even the top dogs in your field make little mistakes in their work. The difference between you and those top dogs? They proofread their work (or pay someone to do it for them).

Another reason to proofread is to get better at the skills you’re using in your assignment. By proofreading your writing, you learn your common mistakes and begin to refine your writing voice. If you can catch and fix your errors, you’re leveling up.

Better yet, the more errors you correct, the fewer points you lose on assignments and the better grades you earn.

Proofreading is a skill in itself. A writer who doesn’t proofread is a writer that never gets better at writing. A mathematician who doesn’t double-check their equations probably isn’t a very good mathematician.

The more you proofread, the more you learn and the fewer mistakes you make in the future.

A writer who doesn’t proofread is a writer that never gets better at writing.

Tips to Effective Proofreading

There is an art to critiquing your work, and as with any art form, proofreading takes time to master. However, there are things you can do to make proofreading a little easier. Here are some ways to maximize the effectiveness of your proofreading:

• Wait a day (or at least a few hours) after you finish an assignment to proofread it. Time gives your brain a break, making it much easier to find errors.

• Change the format of your assignment before proofreading. Errors are easier to catch when the assignment is in a different format than when you completed it.
  • Print your papers and read them. Change your font, view using a different screen or app, or move your physical paper to different lighting.
  • Anything that makes your original assignment look different will help your brain find errors.

• Read written assignments out loud. Sometimes text makes perfect sense until it’s read out loud.

• Search the text for commonly misspelled words (using their misspellings) on written assignments or duplicated words like “the the.”
  • You can also read your papers backward. It’s uncomfortable and weird, but it makes those double words stand out.

• Read the assignment instructions and rubric before and after you proofread. Proofreading is more than just finding grammar and spelling errors; it’s also useful for catching errors related to assignment completion.

• Don’t just rely on yourself and spell-check. Use an app or website, like Grammarly or the Chegg Writing Center, to check your writing or trade homework with a classmate. A second set of eyes (even virtual robot eyes) can find errors your eyes could not.

You may wonder why I suggest changing your homework font and taking time between finishing an assignment and proofreading.

When you look over something you have written, your brain tends to fill in what you meant to write rather than what is written. For instance, you may not notice a spelling error in the text because your brain autocorrects it. You know you meant to say “where” instead of “wear,” so your brain fixes it subconsciously.

Waiting a day or changing the font of your assignment are tricks to help your brain catch those errors. You’re essentially shutting off that autocorrect function in your brain by making your homework look different or giving yourself time before proofreading.

Do I proofread?

You bet I do! As a teacher, every material I give to my students gets proofread a minimum of two times. I also spend a lot of time proofreading my blog articles, emails, and even text messages to certain people. Below is a screenshot of a chunk of this blog post before I proofread it.

I ran it through Grammarly to highlight some of the errors I made. I write with a “brain dump first, edit later” attitude, so proofreading is essential to my writing process.

When I write something new, whether a blog post or an assignment description for class, I read through it a few times before pasting it into Grammarly. I use Grammarly premium, but the free Grammarly subscription is awesome for students with a tight budget. I highly recommend both the free and paid subscriptions.

Grammarly also has a plagiarism checker that identifies when you need to cite a source AND finds the source for you. Most teachers run their student’s written work through a plagiarism checker when grading.

Can I pay someone to proofread for me?

Absolutely! If you are a college student, you likely have access to a free writing center on campus. They will proofread your work and provide feedback for free.

The only downside to these services is that they often fill up fast, so you have to be strategic about booking appointments for assignments in advance. 

If you are in a time crunch or would like to pay a professional to proofread your work, there are many proofreading services all over the Internet. Places like UpWork and Fivver allow you to hire freelance proofreaders at affordable rates. 

You can also use the paid version of AI proofreading services like Grammarly and the Chegg Writing Center for instant writing help. I use the paid version of Grammarly to edit all of my writing, but I also recommend the free version. I have never used the Chegg Writing Center (it’s fairly new), but I used Chegg all through college and I highly recommend their study services.

Just make sure you thoroughly vetted an online proofreader before you hand over your hard-earned money.

Once you make a habit of proofreading your work, you’ll never want to turn something in without giving it a quick look-over again.

It’s embarrassing how many small errors you catch with one quick pass. I did well in school, but I would have done much better had I started proofreading my homework from day one. 

Even though I used to not proofread, as a teacher, it still surprises me when students turn in work that is not proofread. “The the” and “and and” are super common mistakes, and I die a little inside when I see them.

Of course, you might not catch every error while proofreading, but even one caught error makes your homework better than it was before.

Better homework = better grades, and you can’t beat that!

Do you proofread your homework before you turn it in? Tell me in the comments!