How to Succeed in College Classes

Plan your life. Academic success starts before you ever set foot in class; it starts at registration time. Arrange your schedule to include a mix of writing-heavy classes and reading-heavy classes. Don't schedule all of the hard classes of your major in the same semester.

Attend class. Some professors will take attendance, and others won't. As tempting as it is to avoid the classes that don't require attendance, it's to your advantage if you do. Studies show that people learn more if they receive information in multiple ways. By hearing information from your professor and writing and later reading your notes, you will take in more information in the first place...before you even study.

Take notes...some. Don't be dogged about writing down what you hear. Rather, listen and really understand what the professor is saying. Then write it down, paraphrasing it in your own words and adding whatever context will help you later remember what you heard.

Organize your notes. Keep all your notes for one class in one notebook. Date you notes as you start them, and also write down the name of the class. Try to get a system for each class, whether it's an outline based on Roman numerals or headings with bulleted lists underneath. Leave plenty of space on each page for going back and adding comments made later (not all professors are themselves organized) and just for easier reading down the road.

Read your notes every day or every week. Be familiar with them before it comes time to study for the test. When you re-read them, copy or clarify them if your original handwriting was poor.

Plan to work. Although you're in class much less time in college than in high school, professors expect you to spend a significant amount of that out-of-class time studying and doing other work to contribute to your academic life. In fact, for every hour you're in class, you should be studying two hours outside of class. If you're taking a 12-hour course load (close to minimum for full-time undergraduates), you should be studying 24 hours a week outside of class.

Don't procrastinate. Even if you only have one test in a week or in a couple of weeks, cramming at the last minute is not the best way to pass. Aside from that whole not learning as much thing, cramming also makes the days surrounding the test miserable, and you simply won't do as well on the exam. You can't take in weeks' worth of information in just a couple of study sessions, and staying up all night to cram will only leave you without the clear thinking that could help you through at least a few of the questions. Study a little bit throughout the semester, and increase your study time in the weeks leading up the test. That will yield the best results.

Find your study spot. Different people study differently. Figure out if you learn more by studying with other people or by yourself. Do you need quiet, or do you work better with a little ambient noise? Consider not what you prefer or what makes the time pass faster, but rather what helps you focus the most and retain the most information.

Learn to say no. On a college campus, there's always something going on. To succeed in classes, you absolutely must practice some self-control. Set limits for yourself about how often you'll go out, what nights you'll consume alcohol, how late you'll stay out, and what you will accomplish before going out. Don't neglect a social life, but take everything in moderation.

Ask for help. Campuses are filled with professors, teaching assistants, tutors, and lab assistants who can help you catch up academically. Be willing to work hard, but know when you need a little help...and ask for it. There's nothing to be embarrassed about, except for failing the class and having to retake it because you were too stubborn to seek extra instruction.