With every new semester comes a new set of challenges. I know you hear that a lot, but it’s true. Choosing which classes to enroll in is usually a struggle in itself, but that’s just the beginning. Getting on RateMyProfessor just to triple check that you don’t NEED to get your textbooks, and putting your schedule as your background so you aren’t “that person.” The list goes on. While there isn’t any surefire way to success, there are a couple things you can do to make sure you have the best semester ever.
1. Actually go to class.
Yes, of course this has to be first. Take it from me, I know how annoying it is to go to a class in which the professor either doesn’t take attendance or posts everything on Canvas for your viewing pleasure. And it’s even worse when you show up to class the first day, and they say, “I don’t care if you attend or not, and I know you don’t want to be here, so I don’t take attendance.” But here’s the thing: You can’t know what’s going on in class if you don’t actually go. Even more, you can’t expect to 100% grasp information if you aren’t there to learn it. After all, you’re paying to be here, or you’re on scholarship that requires good grades, so why not make the best of it and be happy in the long run?
2. Rewrite or type your notes.
Wow, who would’ve thought that if you go to class, it’d be a good idea to take notes?! But on a more serious note (pun totally intended), I can’t be the only one whose notes look like a ferret picked up a pen and tried to start writing legible words. I’ve found that either rewriting my notes after class or, if allowed, taking them on a computer really helps my ability to comprehend what’s going on. There’s absolutely nothing more frustrating than opening my notebook before a midterm and not being able to read a single thing. So, help yourself a little bit, and make them legible enough to read.
3. Make Friends, and Get Their Numbers
I avoid, at all costs, sitting directly next to someone that I don’t know. I dread trying to make new friends on the first day of class, and that’s affected me more than once. I’ll never forget the first “friend” whose number I asked for in one of my classes. She turned out to be a good one to study with, and we had a bunch of classes together. I’ve made better grades on exams by studying with people who are struggling through a class with me than I do by studying alone. Help yourself, make some friends, get their digits and study together.
4. Sit Towards the Front
Yes, I know that one of your professors has a spitting problem and that you really can’t see the board from the back, but all the talkers sit in the middle. Suck it up, and move up. I know that I learn a lot better in the front and that a lot of other people do, too. I’ve noticed that when I move to the front, I pay better attention to what’s going on, I don’t have to try so hard to see and I learn more because I’m afraid to get called out for slacking off. Teachers notice when you’re not there, and it could end up making a difference in the long run, especially if they take attendance.
If you think about it, success doesn’t just happen. You don’t just magically get a good grade on an exam, just like how you don’t automatically get attendance points when you aren’t present. You’re paying to be here and to be in class every day. Make the most of the semester and get off on the right foot by putting your best self in the classroom everyday!
Photo courtesy of PicJumbo https://picjumbo.com/woman-reading-a-book/