Academics Are the Baseline—Here’s How to Get Them Right

Everyone wants the dream job, the prestigious internship, or the shot at grad school. But here’s a truth that doesn’t get said enough:

Strong academics are still the baseline.

They’re not the only thing that matters—but they are often the first thing someone sees. Your GPA can determine whether a recruiter reads the rest of your resume. It can influence who gets invited to interview, who gets selected for scholarships, and who lands the early leadership roles.

And while plenty of students could be doing better in the classroom, most aren’t lacking talent—they’re just lacking structure. That’s where intentionality comes in.

When I coach college students, this is one of the first levers we pull. Not because grades are everything—but because they’re one of the few things you can fully control, and one of the most immediate signals of readiness that the world recognizes.

So let’s talk about how to actually get them right.

Showing up matters more than you think.

At Kelley, I graduated at the top of my class. But it definitely wasn’t because I was the smartest student in every room—it was because I figured out how to show up in ways that made a difference.

I stayed off of my phone (for the most part), and I almost always engaged in class discussions. I went to office hours (even when I wasn’t confused) just to build a relationship with the professor–not to be a try-hard, but because I knew I wanted opportunities later that would require people to vouch for me.

I also showed up for my fellow students. In undergraduate business school classes, there are many group projects that require collaboration with 2-5 other students. By truly engaging with them in a helpful way–not splitting up the work and never talking again–I got more out of the classes but more importantly made friends and connections with smart people who are now fellow leaders in the business world. Not to mention, your professors can tell which groups are putting in the effort and which are not, and this will certainly impact your grade.

So to make sure you’re setting yourself up for academic success, start by showing up with intention.

Do the hard stuff first.

I’ve seen it over and over again—students spend an hour reorganizing their email folders instead of starting the tough econ problem set. Or they knock out five quick assignments, not because they’re important, but because they’re easy to check off.

I get it. We all like momentum. But real progress comes from prioritizing the hard, high-impact stuff first.

When I was in college, I blocked off two-hour windows at least a few days per week to focus on my most demanding priorities—no phone, no social media, just a goal to push through the most important material. That structure helped me excel in the classroom, but it also helped me learn how to work—a skill that’s still paying off today.

The most effective students aren’t working more than everyone else. They’re just doing the right things at the right time to avoid last-minute, poor-quality work on important assignments or projects.

Pulling an all-nighter is almost never the right answer.

There were a couple of semesters where I let things slip—sleep, movement, what I was eating—and I could feel the difference immediately. Not just in how I felt physically, but in how focused (or not) I was mentally. I was grinding harder to get the same results.

Eventually, I realized that no planner or productivity hack could compete with being burned out and underfed.

It’s easy to forget this when you’re young, and especially when everyone else around you seems to be pulling all-nighters. But the truth is, no one performs at their best when they’re depleted. Strong academic performance (and performance in general) starts with strong life habits.

Take academics seriously and build strong habits.

I don’t coach students to obsess over GPA. But I do coach them to take it seriously—because it’s often the first filter, and because the process of earning strong grades builds the habits that will serve them for life.

Study hard. Show up well. Take care of yourself. Do the hard stuff first. These are the practices that turn talent into opportunity.