Starting Your First Year of College Strong: 8 Tips for Succeeding in Your Classes

The most important tips I can give you for a strong academic start in your first year of college may seem obvious at first glance but give them more than a passing look. Leaving high school and home – away from the watchful eyes of teachers and the protective structure of parents or guardians – is thrilling but also daunting for its freedom.

Almost everything about college is different than high school and it takes time and practice for most students to adjust to being responsible for their own academic highs and lows. During your first term on campus, you’ll experience both – there’s no escaping challenges with everything so new – but if you take the tips below seriously, the wins will outnumber the losses.

8 Tips for Succeeding in Your Classes

1.      Go to class

This seems like a no-brainer, right? Of course you’d go to class. But a huge difference between high school and college is that there’s no one on campus who will make you go to class – it’s all on you! You have the choice, and that’s a lot of responsibility.

Being present in class means that – usually -- you’ll learn the material more thoroughly and earn a higher grade than if you were to just read course assignments on your own time. In part, this is because the instructor usually provides context and details that you can’t get from class materials. Your college professors are experts in their fields and bring their unique knowledge to the classroom so being there is important.

Professors can make it worth your while to attend by including attendance in your final grade, and there may be pressure on you to attend when the class size is small or there is group work, and your absence would be noticeable. And your parents/guardians may have something to say about attendance, especially if they’re paying the bills.

It can take quite a bit of determination and self-control to make it to your classes, especially when they’re early in the morning, overlap with something else you’d like to do, and when the class is big, so it’s less noticeable when you’re not there. And skipping one class session here and there usually isn’t a problem – life happens and sometimes getting to class isn’t in the cards.

But the occasional absence can easily turn into a pattern, and this may become a problem if you can’t meet course requirements, and your grades go down. In the end, the decision is yours; your folks aren’t on campus with you, and no one is keeping your schedule for you. So be careful, be thoughtful about your priorities and about what you want from college.

2.      Read the syllabus

You know that the syllabus is the document that includes important information about the class, but in college it really is a critical form of communication from the instructor to you about what you are required to do for the term. And it is you, and only you, who is required to know what it says. Again, no parents are there to sign it or make sure you follow the rules.

I can’t say strongly or often enough that you MUST read the syllabus fully, early, and often so that you know what’s expected and you don’t find yourself in difficulties later in the term when you don’t know what’s going on.

The syllabus usually includes the purpose of the course, goals and objectives, the schedule for class meetings and reading required, assignments and due dates, and details about how you will be graded. It will include contact information for the instructor and policies for absences from class, missed or late assignments, and what to do if you have needs related to a learning or physical challenge (see #7 below).

Different classes will have different syllabi; while there are standard elements, the specifics will vary. And professors don’t coordinate with each other, which means that assignments and due dates often overlap without consideration of your full workload.

There can be a lot to keep track of so use the syllabus to help keep you in the know and on track and be sure to ask questions if you don’t understand something.

For more on college syllabi, check out my YouTube channel for an episode specifically on this topic!

3.      Do the reading

Do the reading for each class session BEFORE the class meets. You’ll be expected to have read so that you can follow what’s going on and perhaps participate in class discussion. And, of course, keeping up with the reading each week helps keep you from falling behind so you’re not doing all of it right before an assignment or test

The type of reading you’ll have in college may vary greatly, within a class and across classes. Professors may assign scholarly articles, book chapters, and even whole books! They may include journalistic sources like newspaper, magazine, and other articles, often from online sources. You may be asked to read government documents like court decisions or legislative hearing, and historical documents of various kinds.

There can be a lot to read in any one class, and together the load can feel overwhelming. Knowing what’s required – via the syllabus – and planning accordingly can really help. Sometimes in especially busy weeks, you may have to cut a corner or two by skimming or even skipping a reading or two because there isn’t time to do it all comprehensively. It happens.

Importantly, doing as much as you can and on time will be critical to keeping up with the pace of each class and getting most of it done so that you can perform as you well as you want to.

4.      Attend office hours

Office hours are the time blocks that professors provide each week for students to meet with them in person to discuss the class and ask questions.

It can be really intimidating to go to office hours! Especially if you’re at a big school and your contact with the professor doesn’t happen at all in class, showing up at their office to introduce yourself and ask a question or two can make you feel very vulnerable … and even queasy! This is a completely normal reaction, but one that you need to get past as soon as possible.

You are likely to have questions during the term and office hours are THE time to get them answered. I suggest you attend office hours early in the term – even if you have no questions and nothing to say – so that you can at least introduce yourself briefly. This will help you break through your nerves so that when you DO need help during the term, you won’t be going to the office for the first time.

Professors will usually reply to emails as well, and this may be your preferred way of communicating because it cuts down on the intimidation. But it really is a good idea to make at least one trip to see your professor. If for no other reason, it’s practice for post-graduation when you have interviews and other meetings with people who scare you (!) and because you may want a letter of recommendation from your professor for an internship, job, or graduate school. Matching a name with a face can be meaningful for the person who is asked to recommend you.

5.      Take notes

What? Take notes in class??

I know, it’s a foreign concept for many high school students – and even college students – yet it’s really important. As research shows, the process of writing down what you hear, in your own words, engages your brain in a way that helps you listen, record, synthesize, and recall information better. Moreover, actually writing by hand is superior to typing for engaging the brain in this way.

But don’t take my word for it! There’s plenty of research on the topic, and you can read a few sources here, here,here, here, and here.

Importantly, not everyone has the capacity to take notes by hand. There are services at school that can help, which I turn to below. Taking advantage of these services will help you make the most of your learning experience.

6.      Use the Library and Writing Center

The library – and the librarian -- is your friend! I know most students these days don’t feel the need to use the library because everything is digital and available online. But the library stacks still have books that you can sit and read and check out if you need or want. And the librarians are a wealth of information about finding sources and doing research, which most students have to do at least once during their college career. Go to the library and meet the librarians and ask them for help! It’s why they are there, and you will learn so much from them.

Same for the writing center on your campus. Particularly if you know that you have challenges with writing assignments – but even if you’re a confident writer and could just use another set of eyes on your work – hit the center for support from writing advisors. Again, that’s what they’re there for and if you don’t take advantage of their expertise, then you’re missing out on meaningful support for your academic work.

In addition, libraries are wonderful places to work quietly alone or with friends. It may be important to get out of your dorm room or apartment for a change of scenery, and libraries are often spacious and comfortable with nice views, and even coffee shops. And they may provide computers and printers and other tech that may be useful to your work.

So, go ahead and wander across campus to check out what your library and writing center have to offer you.

7.      Disability Services/Accommodations Office

I can’t imagine a college that doesn’t have an office that manages academic accommodations. Their placement in different departments or schools at the university may vary, but the office itself usually includes “disability” in the name. If you had a 504 Plan or an IEP in high school – or if you have a new diagnosis since starting college – you may be eligible for reasonable accommodation in college as well. Importantly, physical diagnoses may also be eligible for accommodation, so if you have broken a leg or sprained a wrist or experienced some other such event, you may want to contact this office.           

I wrote in some detail about this service in a previous post, so here let me just encourage you to use this support if you are eligible. I’ve noticed a reluctance to do so among many students who feel that it is cheating in some way or shameful. Let me assure you that it is neither, but rather a tool that helps you achieve your potential in the face of challenges. In this way, it is no different than seeking support from the librarian or from the writing center, or from anyone else on campus whose role it is to help you be the best that you can be. pport for students with

8.      Address your teacher as Dr. or Professor

Most of your instructors will have doctoral degrees (or PhDs), which means that they’ve had extensive post-college education and training in their field. The degree gives them the title of Doctor. They are also professors, and many will use this as their title instead. And still others will be fine with either Dr. or Professor.

If the instructor indicates one or the other on their syllabus, then definitely use that to address them: Dr. So-and-so or Professor So-and-so. Even if they include their first name on the syllabus, use their title as they provide it.

The reason I suggest using Professor as the default title – in case they don’t indicate a preference – is (1) it is a broader category that includes anyone who is teaching, and (2) it avoids the tendency to use Mr./Ms., which are inappropriate because they do not recognize degree titles and because they are gendered.

IF you have an instructor who gives your permission to use their first name or another title, then that’s fine. But otherwise, start with Professor.

* * * * * * * * *

There’s a lot to think about in your first year in college! These tips will help you manage some of the class-related stuff. If you have questions or concerns about these or topics I don’t raise here, don’t hesitate to leave a comment or drop me an email!

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Academic Support for College Students: Top 4 Sources on Campus