Here are some valuable tips to help you get the most out of going to your college classes:

  • Ask one question each day during class. Write one down beforehand if you need to. Even if it’s not a great question, asking it will actually double your brain’s energy level so that you can learn more. That’s because it changes you from a passive listener to an active participant. When you think your professor makes an important point, nod in agreement or in disagreement. It’s a physical way of keeping your brain engaged in what’s being said.
  • Sit in the front row. Do you feel uncomfortable in the front of the class? That’s a good reason to sit there. It will keep you awake when the lecture turns boring. It will reduce your distractions, because there’s nobody else to look at. And people learn more from people they have a relationship with; removing obstacles between you and the speaker mentally reinforces the fact that you’re listening to a real person, not just a talking head.
  • Set academic goals. Get an A in that math class; commit to at least two hours of studying a day; outline that big paper a month before it’s due. Choose classes by professors. Research shows that great instructors help students succeed. Find out who the “famous” profs are and take their courses.
  • Visit your professors. In high school, visiting teachers often was considered a) totally uncool, and b) totally uncool. In college, visiting professors is good business. They will be impressed by your initiative, you’ll learn more and you may even wind up friends. Remember to stop in during their posted office hours. If you don’t have anything specific to talk about, ask your prof what he is researching and working on. They love that.
  • Visit your academic adviser at least twice a semester. Keeping up with college credits, classes and careers is hard. That’s why you have an academic adviser to begin with. Your adviser makes sure you’re taking the right classes, helps you with problems and connects you with other campus sources. Listen, you’ve already paid for this help. Use it.
  • Find a mentor. If your college offers a mentor program, sign up for it. Studies show that students invariably benefit from the more nurturing relationship mentors can offer. If your college has no such program, pick your own. Ask your adviser or a professor to introduce you to an upperclassman who knows how to succeed in college. Ask them for their advice.
  • Have the right attitude about catchup classes. So you have to take remedial classes to bone up on your English or math skills. So what? At least 1-in-10 college freshmen take such classes, so just do it. Consider these courses opportunities to get what you need so you can get where you’re going.
  • Join a study group. Students who struggle and students who don’t struggle join study groups. They’re just a great way to share the knowledge — OK, and the pain — of rigorous courses. They’re also a pretty good way to get to know people. And they’re free.
  • Investigate learning communities. Studies show that it’s virtually impossible not to benefit from learning communities — or similar groups such as freshmen interest groups. Learning communities are classes organized around themes, so that groups of students share several classes. That’s because when you know your classmates and discuss what you’re learning, your brain gets more exercise and your grades go up. Ask your adviser about these communities.