College can be a time of great exploration – both academically and socially. It’s a time to try new things, meet new people, and expand your horizons. While you are undoubtedly excited to start your college journey, it’s important to remember that the classes you take will have a major impact on your future. Here are some essential tips for getting the most out of your college classes!
The average college student has about 15 hours of classes per week. While this may seem like a lot, remember that you will also need time for homework, extracurricular activities, and socializing. The time you spend in classes forms the foundations of your academic career. You need to get everything you can out of them to be able to go on and successfully complete your assignments and assessments.
So how do you ensure you get everything you can out of your classes at college?
Take Notes
This may seem like an obvious one, but it’s important to actually write down or type out the notes from each class. Research has shown that students who take notes by hand tend to retain more information than those who rely on laptops. This is because the act of physically writing out the notes helps your brain to engage with and remember the material. If you find it difficult to engage with a class and take down notes at the same time, you could choose to record the audio of your classes, which can help you to fully participate in the classes at the time. Listening to the audio recordings afterwards and writing down notes at that point can be a great way to consolidate what you have learned.
Ask Questions
Don’t be afraid to ask questions in class! College professors are there to help you learn the material, and they will usually be more than happy to answer any questions you have. If you’re struggling to understand something, chances are there are other students who feel the same way. Asking questions can also help to keep you engaged with the material. Participating in class discussions can help you to better understand the material, as well as giving you the opportunity to share your own ideas and opinions with your classmates.
Do Your Assignments As Soon As Possible
Completing your assignments soon after they are set means you will be doing them while content from classes is still fresh in your mind. You may decide to get support from an essay service, and this is something that many college students do sometimes, but getting to grips with your essays and assignments soon after the classes they relate to will help you understand the material better overall.
Do The Reading
Many students choose to skip the readings assigned for their classes, but this is a huge mistake! The readings are there for a reason – they provide valuable context and background information that can help you to understand the material covered in class. Skipping them will likely mean that you struggle to engage with the material in class, as well as making it more difficult to complete assignments. Classes usually build on both material learned in the previous class, and the reading that is expected of you in between classes, so skipping it may mean you gradually struggle to keep up.
Talk To Your Peers And Professors
Your peers and professors can be a great source of information and support. College can be tough, and it’s important to have people you can rely on when you need others to engage with. Talking to your peers about the material covered in class can help you to better understand it, as well as giving you the opportunity to share your own ideas. This will also help you to broaden your network, connections and friends. Taking time to talk to your professors and build rapport with them can only be a good thing too. They will be able to offer you advice and support, as well as being able to tell you more about a specific topic. They are the experts, after all!
Sit At The Front
Sitting at the front of your classes ensures you are more likely to pay attention and be engaged with what is going on. It also means you will be able to hear everything that is being said, which can be difficult if you’re sitting at the back. If you have a laptop, it can be tempting to sit at the back and use it during class, but this is likely to mean you miss out on important information and won’t be as engaged as you could be. Sitting towards the front will mean you’re less likely to become distracted by friends. And it will also help your professors warm to you – they appreciate students who show signs that they want to engage with their classes.