Doing Well in Classes

2 min readDec 28, 2019

This is Part 2 of the What I Wish I Knew About College series. Scroll to the end of this post for links to the rest of the series.

Unfortunately, there is some truth to the above diagram. You can have all three and do alright, of course. But, if you really want to excel in your classes, that has to be a priority. That means being mindful of how often you go out, binge watch Netflix, and waste time on social media.

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Learn to say no to your friends and fight FOMO. It isn’t easy, but it’s worth it. Hold yourself accountable.

If you want a great GPA, you have to put in the work

Don’t fall behind on classes: keep up with readings and lectures from day one. Hound your professors during office hours if you don’t understand anything.
Don’t start studying for exams at the last minute. Revise what you’re doing in class regularly to keep things fresh in your mind. It sucks to cram everything into your head right before an exam.
Do take advantage of extra credit opportunities. If they aren’t available, ask your professor if they can provide some. Or, if they can shift grading weights around to position you better for success.
Get to know your professors by answering questions in class and attending office hours. So, when it comes time to determine your final grade and you’re at, say, a high B+ almost touching an A, they’d be inclined to bump you to the A 😀

Though don’t beat yourself up if academics can sometimes be a struggle

That’s inevitable. It won’t be a walk in the park. You’re bound to have a heavy course load, maybe coupled with a job and some extra-curricular activities. At times, deadlines and to-dos will compound and you’ll feel strained, short on time, with a mountain of seemingly endless and impossible things to complete.

That’s when you have to prioritize, find wiggle room with some tasks, and carve out pockets of time to relax and de-stress (more on that in another section).

Expect to be challenged. Welcome the challenges. They’re part of the learning process.