Tips to Becoming a Better Student
I was an average student during my first two years in college, then I became a father and everything changed thereafter. I acquired newfound motivation and my grades seem to dramatically improve. My GPA went from a 2.8 to a 3.89.
I sat in the front of the class or somewhere near that. Sitting in the front has several advantages. First, you hear every single word that emanates from the professor’s mouth. This means no more missed assignments or missed lecture content. Second, sitting in the front allows you to have first dibs at questions directed towards the professor or instructor. Now if your buddies raze you for sitting in the front, just tell them that your hearing is not so good.
Another good tip is in regards to class lecture notes. The professor/instructor will ramble off notes at a rapid pace and good students are able to transcribe most of the lecture content. I have a tip to overcome the speedy mouthed teacher. Simply put, write in very basic broken EnglishâÂ?¦âÂ?¦âÂ?¦.OK, you’re probably scratching your head but it works.
For example, the instructor lectures on metamorphic rock and how it forms. Your notes should look something like this: Meta rock form when undergrnd pressure and reform then rock float top and put in ocean. You wrote the jist of the topic in a succinctly manner, remember you always can rewrite your notes when you get home. Most professors will base their exams on classroom lectures; they do this because they want students to attend their classes. So, put forth a valiant effort in taking notes.
Now, probably the most important aspect to succeed in college is to ask the instructor as many questions possible. Furthermore, asking questions is not limited during class time. Teachers love it when students come to their office during office hours. This gives the teacher the impression that you want to learn. I have found that professors are more willing to discuss what’s on the exam when speaking with them one-on-one.
When deciding on what classes to enroll, some blindly pick any class with any teacher, as to correlate with their daily schedule. Choosing the wrong teacher can be disastrous. There is a website www.ratemyprofessor.com that has an enormous database of information. Within the site, students leave messages about professors and give them a quantitative score for certain criteria. The website has been operating for some time and the site has information on professors from thousands of universities across the nation and also globally. This site is a perfect tool to pick and choose the perfect class.
In sum, college is a time of your life when you are nearing true adulthood. Your grades are a good indicator for future success. You can be a good student and still experience all of the adventures college life has to offer. Good luck and happy studying!
