College Professor's Secret: Slack Your Way to an A

I read Mr. Thornhill's article, College Professor's Secret: Slack your way to an 'A' with great interest. You see, I too survived high school by employing a number of his 'secrets'. Most teachers thought I was the dream student; polite, courteous and attentive. That was what they THOUGHT and only one teacher ever caught on. I was bored one day and had a joke book with me. I put the joke book inside of my notebook and made it look like I was paying attention. Really, I was just reading jokes. Unfortunately, my notebook was upside down and the teacher noticed this. So much for getting an 'A' in that class.

I do think, however, that Mr. Thornhill is only telling you part of the story. He teaches college now and he says that his tricks only work in high school and that in college you need to pay attention. I too teach college and I am willing to tell you what he did not. Yes, you can slack your way to an 'A' in college.

As much as we do not like to admit it, we love it when students suck up to us. I had one student who was a member of a civic organization. She asked if I would be willing to give one of the lectures I gave in class to her club. "A" for that student. Another student submitted my name to a college committee recognizing my willingness to help other students. "A" for that student as well.

My college also allows students to submit names of teachers for the "Instructor of the Year". No one has ever submitted my name (okay, those are a few "F's") but if someone does... ... Can you say "A"?

Any student who talks to me after class, picking my brain for ideas, gets brownie points. It will not automatically get you an 'A', but it will get you noticed, in a positive way. The same thing is true of students who have perfect attendance, or something close to it. Showing up to class and acting like you are paying attention is just as important in college as it is in high school.

There is something else that will help, but it has to be done carefully and correctly. If you disagree with a grade, be willing to talk to the teacher. Do not challenge the teacher, just talk. I had a group of students that rebelled one class session, complaining about the way I graded. I listened. I responded. I did not change any of the grades. Another student in class stayed quiet. After class she sent me an e-mail. First she thanked me for be willing to listen to students who felt they deserved a higher grade, saying most instructors would not do that. Then she said she did not want it to seem like she was joining in the attack, so she was e-mailing me. She outlined her case and said whatever I decided to do, even leaving her grade alone, was fine with her, she just needed to express her feelings and she thanked me for listening. Her grade was changed.

Yes, there are tricks to getting an 'A' in college without putting in too much work!