It doesn’t matter what class I’m in or who’s in my project group, I always name my group the A-Team. It’s corny and cheesy and sometimes reminds me of Mr. T, but it is also a remind of what we’re shooting for: an A. Let’s be serious, college is hard. In high school I left for lunch block, got my homework done in multiple study halls and studied right before the exam. High School was easy. The hardest thing about it was reading War and Peace (of which I read the Spark Notes mini guide) and figuring out how to make my dress code cool. (It was never cool)
So let’s face it, college is a thousand times harder than High School but there are easy ways to ensure you get the education you’re paying for and snag that “A” while you’re at it. Here are my sure-fire tips on becoming the smartest, hippest, and most happening girl in the class.
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Sit in the Front. OK I get it; no one likes to sit in the front of the class. We can thank high school for that mentality. The front was for “suck ups”. Cool kids sat in the back. I get it I really do. But go take that high school mentality and throw it in front of a moving UNH bus. The front of the class is for smart, sophisticated girls who work hard to play hard. Professors notice people who sit up front, you’re not one of the fifty blank eyes staring back at them. All of a sudden the professor magically knows how to pronounce your last name.
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Participate. A lot of us probably forget about that measly 5% participation part of our final grade. It’s an easy thing to overlook when you’re dealing with exams and projects worth 50%, but participation can be the difference between a +B and an A. I’m not saying raise your hand for every question and shout out the answers, but maybe do the pre-class reading and join the class discussions. Boom, 5% closer to an A.
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Get Organized. It sucks being unprepared for class; it sucks even more to have no clue if you’re even in the right classroom. Get organized! Buy a fun new planner, I get so bored with mine that I usually buy a new one every semester. Lilly Pulitzer makes adorable planners. And while you’re at it, maybe buy a couple different colored pens. Color-coding things makes it so much easier to get organized with just a quick glance.
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Get Dressed. Freshman year, my roommate would get dressed up in business professional for every single exam. I finally asked her why, she told me that getting dressed up helped her focus on the task at hand because it didn’t feel like she was still lounging around in her pajamas. You don’t have to put on a blazer every morning, but maybe take off the sweatshirt and slip into a cute sweater. Don’t panic, I’ll never say ditch the leggings.
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Go to Office Hours. For some reason, office hours always intimidated me. I was nervous I would have to openly admit to the professor that I was completely clueless about what we were discussing in class, or that he or she would laugh at my confusion. I’m ashamed to say that I just went to my first office hours this year, AND I’M A JUNIOR. Professors offer office hours as a way to help answer questions that you might not feel comfortable enough asking in class, or giving you insight on a hard project or helping you review for the next exam. Looking back on my past two years here, I know my GPA would be higher if I had just swallowed my pride and went to an office hour or two…or ten.
Set a goal for this semester and stick to it! I made mine to spend more time with my friends that are graduating soon. I obviously want to get an internship this summer, try my hardest for a 4.0 but I also want to stop wasting precious time being unproductive. I’ve learned that if you’re organized, cultivate a great professional relationship with your professors, and put in some solid studying time, you’re schedule magically gets a little clearer. Projects with my A-Teams still riddle my planner, but I also notice a lot more space for having fun. Now go hit the lib!