How to get the most from your college classes

While getting the most from your college classes is not rocket science, it is surprising how

many people make common mistakes that set them up for failure from the start. To fully

leverage your potential and make the most of the education you are paying for and investing

time in, read on.

1. Be present o If you are attending a F2F (face to face) class, pretend that every class is as

important as a non-refundable airline ticket. You bought it, so only the direst of

emergencies would justify you not using it.

o If you are taking an online course, stick to a week schedule (if one isn’t set by the

instructor, set one for yourself. It’s too easy otherwise to put assignments off till

the last minute). Making yourself sit down to work for 2-3 hours every Monday

evening, for example, is much less stressful than working an all-nighter any day

of the week.

2. Organize, organize, organizeo As soon as you get the course syllabus, read it front to back and transfer

deadlines and reminders in your smart phone / laptop calendar / diary / wherever

you keep important dates. Look at it often. Many professors will not remind you

about deadlines because they have posted them online or on the syllabus and

expect you to keep track of them yourself.

o Keep everything you are given for your courses in the same place—i.e., three-

ring binder or clearly labeled folder on your computer’s desktop. Be consistent

with this and you will be thanking me when it’s crunch time. Put the date on

everything.

3. Find a study buddyo Whether taking a F2F class or one in the virtual world, find someone with whom

you can communicate by email and possibly study with outside of class.

Sometimes it is just helpful to be able to talk through an assignment with a

classmate to get a better understanding of the requirements.

4. Ask questionso I love it when my students ask for clarification or ask a question about something

that I have not considered before.

o Do not preface your question with, “This might be a dumb question, but…” Just

ask your question. If you professor has just answered the question in his/her

lesson, he/she will refer you to what was stated. I mostly find that students who

weren’t listening quickly figure out they need to pay attention! As for “no brainer”

questions, good professors will not make you feel dumb for asking about

something you don’t know. That’s why you are there—to learn what you don’t

know.

5. Shareo If you have relevant experiences or training to the course content or a novel idea,

share! Professors want to know what you can bring to the discussion.

6. Dress, speak, and write for successo Every class meeting is a job interview. Well, not really, but I have a hard time

rationalizing how I can write a letter of recommendation for a student who always

wears sweats to class or posts sloppily written assignments to online forums no

matter how poised and articulate they may seem otherwise. So always

remember to present yourself in a clean and tidy fashion in the classroom as well

as online.

Have questions? Write to Christine at girlwiththepinkleopardbag@gmail.com

http://girlwiththepinkleopardbag.com

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