College Classes

We’ve all been there: mid-semester where we’re like “Oh shoot. What do I do?” Most of us have scholarships and grants where we have to take a minimum of certain credits each semester/year so withdrawing a class is the last thing we want. Although withdrawing a class is a lot better than failing a class! It’s better to get a W than an F! I got you covered with 5 ways on what to do if you start falling behind in your class. How to not fail your college classes and strive to get As in them!

For me, that class was Calculus III. The second semester of my first year, I was struggling. It was a 7:30 am class and I’m pretty sure I showed up roughly 3/5 of the time. Attendance was a factor in our overall grade too according to the syllabus. Let’s just say that I was in too deep to bounce back and I had to drop the class. Next semester I took the class with the same professor (different time, of course, no more classes before 9 am for me!)

Here are some things I did differently this semester that made me pass the class with flying colors.

Go See Your Professor

Try to attend office hours once a week or even once every two weeks. Show your professor that you care about the class. By reviewing materials that were taught in class once a week helps keep the material longer in your head. You should try to get the professor to know your name so they know who you are in the class.

Change The Way You Study

Obviously, you’re doing something wrong if you’re not performing well on the exams. Talk to your professor and ask them how you should study for the exam. When I went to talk to my Calc III professor, I told him that I read the book and attended the review session that was hosted by the math department. He told me NO. My professor suggested that I just read over the notes in class and do the examples that were in the book. He mentioned that the review session hosted by the department caters to ALL calc III classes so instead of spending 2-3 hours of my weekend attending that, I listened to him and reviewed my notes from class. This saved me so much time. Ask your professor on how you should study for his or her exam.

Find a Study Partner/Group

Ask the person sitting next to you if they want to study together! I made two friends during my second round of Calc III and we had biweekly meetups where we just did our homework together. You can exchange numbers with someone in your class and if you need help with a problem, you can ask them and vice versa. However, don’t be that annoying student that always ask for help but never help back. We all know that one person haha.

It’s Okay to Ask for Help

Don’t be ashamed to ask for help. I hired a tutor and while paying $20 every other week for an hour made me super broke, it was totally worth getting that perfect score on one of my exam. Couple of ways you can look for a tutor are bulletin boards that are posted in hallways, or you can ask your advisor or professor if they know any tutors. Every school is different, but at my school, they have these tutoring centers where you can go in and do your homework and ask an available tutor for help. It’s FREE as well. Applicable to Arizona State University students only. Whoops. Sorry!

Don’t Skip Class

Enough said. Don’t skip class. Also, actively listen and participate in class. If you’re going to class but don’t pay attention, what’s the point of even showing up? For attendance? This is also a common sense one but sit up front in the class. My professors always said that students who sit up front tend to do better in the class than those who sit in the back.

That’s all the tips I have for you all. May you do best in your college classes. Remember, it’s not the end of the world if you fail a class, just don’t fail it the second time.

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