Getting the Most Out of Your Classes

By Amanda Cross, Student at the University of Central Arkansas

Going to college is a wonderful thing. You can finally take classes you actually want to take (when you want to take them), you can make amazing new friendships and you have the freedom to hang out with your friends whenever you want.

But with freedom comes great responsibility, meaning you have to actually go to class and make the most out of the hours you are spending inside and outside of the classroom.

Here are some tips on making the most out of your college classes:

1. Sit in the front/middle of the class
Sitting in the front or middle of the class guarantees that your teacher gets to know you better. Sitting at the front makes it harder for you to slack off, so you have to be more engaged. Sitting in the middle is also great because teachers tend to spend most of their time in the middle of the classroom, so you are in their line of vision. If you feel really brave try sitting front and center, you will most definitely get some teacher-student interaction that will help seal in some knowledge for you.

2. Read the books
The professors assign the readings for a reason. A huge percentage of the things you learn from a class will probably come from reading the book, so if you don’t at least skim the chapter before class, you’re missing out on exam questions and a big portion of what the class is supposed to teach you. If reading isn’t your forte and you don’t want to sit down for long periods of time in order to do it, try breaking the readings down into digestible chunks so you don’t overwork yourself.

3. Utilize office hours
Professors have to have a certain number of office hours each week. These office hours are usually not used to their full potential until midterms, finals and possibly drop times. Be the student who goes to the office hours before they are in trouble -- not just while they are in trouble. Because if you wait too late, it will probably be too late.

4. Talk to your classmates
If you look around the room in your classes, there is a wealth of study opportunities in the person sitting next to you. Your classmates are your greatest resource besides your professor. Use them. Form study groups, ask around to see if they understood something better than you, and if all else fails, complain about the professor together. Talking to the people in your classes isn’t just about forming educational alliance but also just getting to know more people and making friends.

5. Party less, study more
Everyone loves to have a great time, but sometimes you have to retire the red Solo cup for a week and hit the books. Remember what you came to college for. Most college students don’t go to school to get a bachelors of arts in partying, so make sure your love of hanging out with your friends isn’t impeding on your college GPA.

Image courtesy of Michal Marcol / FreeDigitalPhotos.net