As my University journey comes to an end, I begun to reflect back on the things I did right and the things I could have done better. In order to convey my findings, I took an approach similar to a fitness workout. For that reason, I have categorized my tips into three phases: Before Class, In-Class, and After Class. The transition from high school is not easy. With that in mind, here are the things I wish someone told me:

Phase Two: In-Class

Friends

When you’re in class, it is important to learn. However, it is equally important to make friends, long lasting friends. These friends have the same goal as you. Rather than viewing them as competition for future jobs, think of them as a network. As you go deeper into your undergrad, you will begin to see familiar faces in all of your classes. You should be able to pin point, which students are the ones who do well in the class. Those are the people you want to be friends with. Surround yourself with people who are doing well because their successful mindset and knowledge will rub off on you. Furthermore, this network of friends will translate into direct benefits to your grades in the following three ways:

 

1. Group Assignments: Your undergrad will be full of group assignments. There is nothing worse than having a terrible group. Use your network of top tier friends to build a reliable group that can earn an ‘A’ for that heavy weighted group assignment. A good performance here will also help alleviate some of the pressure from a heavy weighted exam.

 

2. Exams: Mid terms and exams are difficult. There is a ton of information that is covered throughout the semester and who knows what material will show up. Usually the textbook questions are not enough to do well on an examination. This is where your network of friends comes into play. When you all come together, it is likely at least one or two of you have access to past exams. Studying from past exams will get you familiar with what types of questions you can expect and how they should be answered. I would argue having access to past exams could raise your performance by a full letter grade.

 

3. Texting: There are going to be nights you are sitting on the couch watching TV when you know you should be studying. Your phone will buzz with a text notification from a classmate, asking what you got for #9. Your books weren’t open but I bet they will be after that. You will feel guilty for sitting on the couch while your friends are working hard. This will not only develop some healthy competition but, it will get you talking about the material out loud –a great learning technique.