How well you do in high school determines the universities and the majors that are available. Success in college determines the jobs and graduate schools that are available to you.
Doing well in college isn’t a secret. There are things that need to be done and things that need to be avoided.
Get the most from your college experience with these strategies:
- Pick your major wisely. You can always change your major, but it’s often at the expense of time and money. Some majors are more lucrative than others. Some majors will interest you more than others.
- More than a few people wish they could use a time machine to travel back and choose a different major or university. Choose wisely.
- Schedule your courses wisely. For example, are you an early bird? Then morning classes make sense. If you don’t like to get up before noon, early classes could be the end of your college career.
- Think about what time you want to have classes and which days work best for you. Some people like to spread their classes out over the entire week, others prefer to have a couple of days off.
- Think about what time you want to have classes and which days work best for you. Some people like to spread their classes out over the entire week, others prefer to have a couple of days off.
- Go to class and be on time. College is expensive, so get the most out of it. You’ll learn more and earn better grades.
- Your professors like it when you go to class. They often feel insulted when you skip.
- Be respectful to your professors and classmates by being on time.
- Remember why you’re in school. It’s easy to be lazy or distracted by all the social opportunities but remember why you’re there. There’s a purpose to spending all that money to go to school. Identify yours and remind yourself of it daily.
- Be proactive. While waiting until the last minute can work in high school, you’re not in high school. It’s important to stay ahead of your reading, writing, and studying.
- Many times, everything seems to be due at the same time, so work ahead and work daily. This is perhaps the most important tip. Stay ahead of the game.
- Respect your professors and advisors. Professors are people, and when it comes to grading assignments and handing out final grades, there is some wiggle room. Avoid being the student that your professors don’t like. Go to class, be on time, do your work, and don’t be obnoxious.
- The same goes for your advisor. They can do a lot to help you, or they pretend that they can’t help you.
- Stick to a schedule. Going to college is like a job. If you put in a few hours each day outside of class, college can be a breeze. College life provides a lot of free time which can make it a challenge to get down to work. Have a schedule and follow it.
- Have fun. All of this doesn’t mean you can’t have fun. However, have fun after your work is done.
- Participate in class. Professors don’t like it when they ask for volunteers or pose questions to the class and no one responds. Try to participate once or twice a week. You’ll be rewarded for it.
Make the most of your college experience. It’s taken 12 years of effort to make it this far. Avoid becoming lazy and ruining the most important four years of your education.
Doing well in college isn’t that much work, but it requires discipline and consistent effort each day. There will still be plenty of time to have fun after your work is done. Be a college success story!