1. Go to Class
As obvious as this may seem, actually stepping foot in the classroom is the first step to success in college. Not only is it important to go to class, but it is also vital that when in class, you are present. I can think of multiple occasions where I have been in a lecture and seen student after student, scrolling through Facebook while the professor is lecturing. Not paying attention in class is just as bad as not showing up at all. A break every once in a while during a long lecture to check your feed isn't necessarily a bad thing, but if you are going to go to class, you might as well pay attention and take notes.
2. Make Yourself Known
Although it might be intimidating at first, introducing yourself to your professors will benefit you in many ways. You never know if you will need a favor from your professor. For instance, most professors have a maximum amount of times students are allowed to miss a class before the professor will take points off from their final grade. One semester I got sick and had to miss more than the allotted amount, but because I had developed a relationship with my professor, he allowed me to miss more classes with out being penalized. Furthermore, sometimes if you have a 89.9 and you need a 90 to get an A, if you have ben regularly attending and the professor knows how much effort you have been putting into his class, he is willing to round your grade up to an A. Developing a relationship with your professors will pay off in ways you could never imagine.
3. Explore How You Learn Best
Everyone learns differently. I am the type of person who will interrupt someone who is giving me directions and say "I am not going to remember any of this. I will just put it in my phone." I am 100% not an auditory learner. I do not learn best when someone is strictly dictating to me. My best way to learn things is kinesthetically. I like to write out flashcards and draw diagrams. What is important in college is that you find out how you learn best and take advantage of that knowledge to maximize you time studying by being efficient. For some people that may mean reading the notes over and over, but for others that might mean making flashcards or turning notes into a song. As long as you determine how you learn best, you can be successful in college.
4. Be Positive
Being positive about school can sometimes be a challenge. It is easy to focus on the negative and let that control your thoughts. However, when you focus on the positive you will be more motivated to go to your classes and put in effort. Something I do that helps me keep a positive outlook is keeping a gratitude wall in my room. Every day I try to come up with something or someone I am grateful for such as a friend who helped me find a class or coffee for making my mornings exponentially more bearable. Keeping this gratitude wall helps me to focus on all of the good things going on and puts a smile on my face every day.
