How to Do Well in College with Minimal Studying

With the price of college these days, more and more of us have to work our way through school and don't have a great deal of time to study. Throughout the past three years, I have managed to keep an A- average by studying very minimally and you can too.

Go to Class

Skipping class can be really tempting in college, especially when you have an 8 AM Statistics class with a mundane professor but resist temptation! You can learn a lot of the material you need to know by simply sitting through the class, paying full attention and taking notes. Many professors even tell you what will be on exams and exactly what you need to know beforehand, but you won't know this unless you attend class. Another bonus: If you go to a small school where attention is actually a factor, it could help boost your grade a bit at the end of the semester. I had a poor exam in a College Algebra class and ended up with a much better grade than I expected because I never missed a class, participated, turn work in on time and was respectful. Professors are humans too and it really does help if you at least pretend to enjoy their lectures.

Skip Assigned Reading

There, I said it, skip assigned reading assignments ... well not exactly. Let me explain. Many professors will assign 200-plus pages of reading, sometimes for no good reason. I've noticed that college textbooks are full of filler and you get more out of simply skimming through the pages and familiarizing yourself with the important points and key terms. Although this did not work for me in my philosophy class, it has worked very well in all of my business classes thus far. For philosophy or literature classes, I recommend going online and reading up on how other people have interpreted the texts rather than trying to do so yourself so you have a basis.

Buddy Up

Become friends with at least one person in each of your classes so if you ever miss a lecture or need someone to study with, you're set. It's also a really good idea to share notes since it's easy to miss something along the way and to discuss what you think will be on the upcoming exam. Sometimes professors will even permit you to work on end of semester projects with a buddy, which of course means half the work.

Take Online Courses

I have taken my fair show of both in-person and online classes and have found that online classes require much less studying and are more flexible. Online classes work around your schedule since you can complete the assignments whenever you'd like as long as you stay on schedule and you don't have to sit through any lectures. In addition, they rarely include actual exams and if they do they are open book and not worth much of your grade. Online courses are more centered around completing term papers and assignments rather than cramming for exams so all around they are better for the busy student.

Take Summer Courses Elsewhere

Most universities will allow you to took two summer courses at your local community college every summer and apply them toward your degree. Since it is the summer and you are only taking one or two courses, they are inevitably less stressful than when you are carrying a full course load. It is also nice to have a change of pace from the school you have attended all year. I recommend taking your most difficult courses during the summer months so you can concentrate on them fully without having to worry about other courses. By doing this you may also be able to graduate a semester or even a year early which will save thousands of dollars in tuition. Or if that's not of interest you could always take a lighter course during a few semesters to reduce stress.

Test Out

Many colleges require you to take core courses that are nothing short of useless. Ask your advisor what you can do to test out of the easier courses such as English Composition, Psychology and Intro to Computers. Even though they could be seen as potential GPA boosters, they still require you to sit through lectures and complete assignnments so testing out of them is a better choice. After doing so, you will have more time to focus on what you really came to college to study.

By following these tips, you'll probably be able to work AND attend school without exhausting yourself. College is all about working smarter, not harder. It's important to do a little work here and a little work there so you're not cramming for a week straight when finals roll around. Most of all, college is about growing up and learning how to function and thrive on your own...so go ahead and make the most of it!