DON’T SKIP LECTURES

I can’t stress this enough. Even if the professor speaks in a monotonous, droning nasal voice that rivals Ben Stein’s in “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” try and suck it up. It’s not enough to simply do the assigned readings; the lectures provide topical background and help ease the student into the readings. Thus you will gain a much deeper understanding of the subject matter by combining lectures and readings. Plus, useful hints are usually given in lectures come essay or final exam time.

DO THE READINGS!

I’m ashamed to admit I neglected this aspect very much throughout my four years in university. Yes, the amount of readings you have to go through does cast serious doubt upon the professor’s mental stability. Having to get through Robert Fisk, Shakespeare, Rousseau and Darwin over the weekend is daunting. But you will pay the price a thousand times over if you don’t. Yes, you can cram two days before the exam and scrape a C. However, although my marks were average, I deeply regret not having fulfilled the primary purpose of entering university, and that is, simply, to learn. I have forgotten almost everything I supposedly learned. Had I studied harder, endless opportunities would have opened up for me, such as the chance to go to graduate school.

KEEP AN OPEN MIND

Remember; you do not necessarily have to agree with everything the professor says in order to get the most out of her lectures. Nor do you have to immediately reject everything you read, no matter how ludicrous it may seem. Ideas those centuries old undoubtedly have some merit to them. Keep an open mind, and your college success is guaranteed.

DON’T BITE OFF MORE THAN YOU CAN CHEW

The number one reason students drop out of college is being overwhelmed by the amount of work involved. Keeping in mind the two previous points about attending the lectures and doing the readings, it is a lot of work but it shouldn’t be a major cause for stress. A stressful student is an unsuccessful one. Break up the amount of work you have to do into bite-sized pieces. For instance, if you have a five-page essay due in a week, set a goal for yourself to finish a page a day, and use the remaining two days to edit your paper.