In fall 2015, a mixed-method study was conducted with 106 early-semester and 89 late-semester undergraduate respondents to examine their use of rubrics and perceptions of their impact on academic success. A significant shift toward rubric use was found over the course of the semester, with most use occurring before assignments were due. Students felt rubrics made grading fair and reported using rubrics to complete assignments, understand requirements, and benefit grades. Students' rubric use correlated with higher first-assignment grades and late-semester GPAs, but not with final course grades. Students preferred rubrics to be in hardcopy form and to include both checklists and detailed explanations. The authors conclude that increased rubric use, positive perceptions of rubrics, and correlations between rubric use and better grades is encouraging, but students need prompting toward using rubrics for self-reflection.