It's 2014! It’s a brand new year and a brand new semester. If you follow these tips, you will be sure to have your best semester of college!
Look up classes on Myedu.com AND ratemyprof.com
When you type in what school you attend, Myedu lets you see what percentage of people get A's, B’s and C’s with almost every professor for each class you want to know about. Ratemyprof.com has you type in the teacher you want to know about and it lets you see all of the things former students have said. I like to use both websites when I enroll for classes or when I’m debating which class to choose. Since classes have already started, take a few minutes to look up your classes/teachers and if the odds are not in your favor, you can switch out of that class. Your GPA will thank you later.
Take an easy A class
Have you ever had a semester where you didn’t even get one stinking A?!?! Well, nothing hurts your ego more. When I say an easy A, I don’t mean a class that your smartest friend told you to take. I mean take a class in which over 80 percent of the students get A’s. Beware: sometimes when people tell you that a certain class is super easy, make sure to enroll ONLY with the same professor. Once, I was told to take a class that was a very easy A and I didn’t enroll with the same teacher. I ended up getting a B in the class.
Go to your professor’s office hours     
Having a good relationship with your professors is a very good thing. I know you have probably heard this speech a million times, but talking to your professors, even twice a month, lets them know that you are giving more than minimal effort in his/her class. They appreciate it and if you are borderline in a class, teachers are known for bumping the grade up in your favor!
Study in a place on campus that you have never studied at before
…but maybe not the day before a test. If you go to a brand new environment to study the night before a test, things may not turn out well. Go explore campus and study a few days before your test in a new environment. Last semester, I went to the National Weather Center to study and it was so cool! Gaylord and Price are fun places to study, if you are like me, and aren’t in either of those colleges or aren’t there all the time.
Study hard, but don’t miss out on the fun
Last semester, I made the mistake of not going to a date party because I had a test the following Monday. I wish I had gone with my friends. They have memories they will talk about the rest of their college years and all I can say is that I outlined a couple of chapters that I probably could have done the next day. With that being said, it also helps to not procrastinate.
Don’t have any regrets after the semester ends. Make this the best semester yet! Don’t save any college bucket list items for next fall. DO THEM NOW!