How to Do Well in College Classes
Attending college is a lot different than high school. Grades given in high school classes are often based on participation, assignments, papers and exams. In college, your grade may come down to two or three exams or a few term papers. Because of this, the techniques you used to do well in high school may not work for succeeding in college. There are several practices you can try to help you do well in college.
- Attend lectures. Even if class is at 7:30 in the morning and you are half-asleep, you may absorb some of the information by just sitting in your chair. Going to lectures will also remind you of upcoming due dates or tests.
- Take good notes during class. These are to be used as the base of your studying. Some professors may provide lecture notes or slide printouts, but not everything of importance will be on them. It is important to listen carefully and record facts or information that may be helpful.
- Look over the lecture and class materials. Your professor has probably provided them for a reason. If he thinks it is essential, there is a good chance you might be tested on it.
- Complete your assignments and readings. Use these to check your understanding and stay up-to-date with lecture material.
- Attend office hours. Office hours are a great time to meet one-on-one with your professor, which may be difficult to do during class if there are 500 other students. If your professor can put a face to a name and you can build a rapport with him, you may do better just by association.
- Start studying early for exams. Don’t wait until the night before to have a cram session! Cramming can lead to little long-term retention of information and lots of stress.
- Join a study group. Studying with other people in your class can help you understand and remember information better. By explaining a concept to others, you have to be able to understand and grasp the concept yourself.