The 5 Study Tips You Need to Pass That Class

We’ve all been there, especially as college students, stressing over how to get the grades we really want. Some of us, even, try so hard and still end up getting a bad grade. Maybe the real question is, am I actually doing what I need to do in order to get a good grade or do I just think or want to pretend that I am so I don’t feel guilty? Sometimes the answer is right in front of us, but most of the time we choose to ignore it.

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It’s Spring Break, or about to be depending on what school we go to, which means yes, time to relax, but it also means no, there’s not that much school left. The majority of us have already had our midterms, and if not, they’re right around the corner, which means half of the semester is already over with.

Unfortunately, for some, there’s not enough time in the world to boost the grades to high A’s. But don’t fret, at least not yet. Ever heard the phrase, “When there’s a will, there’s a way”? Well, it’s true. There may not be a lot of time on our hands to get where we really want to be but there is time left to get our grades high enough to where we pass the class without feeling extremely bad about ourselves!

I’m here to give you the five study tips on how to pass your classes this semester and that applies to all students! We’re in this together, right? Follow these tips and I promise you you’ll be so happy you’ll want to bake me some cake … okay, maybe not, but it was worth a try?

1) The most important rule of studying is finding YOUR place! Many people overlook this tip and study anywhere. For some, that may work, but for others, a lot of places provide various distractions and sounds and even having more than one person around may be uncomfortable. Some people study best in a room full of people like the library or a coffee shop but others study best in a private, quiet space like their room or a common room. Finding your place is the ultimate study tip. No really, it is!

2) Stay organized, stay organized, stay organized. Time, space, assignments, dates, the whole 9-yards. How do you know what you need to study for if you haven’t planned ahead or prioritized what needs to be done? Nowadays, the college sites we use like Canvas or Blackboard, have built-in calendars for assignments, which is good.

However, some people prefer to use their phones, laptops, or hand-held planners. Whatever works for you is what you need to do but either way, you NEED to do it. To study well, you need to learn how to prioritize your work and be able to follow a set schedule.

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3) ASK. FOR. HELP. Office hours, AI’s, TA’s, and study tables exist for a reason. Many people in college are afraid to ask for help in fear of feeling embarrassed, stupid, or shy. When I say there’s no need to feel that way, for some it may be easier said than done, but still.

Never be afraid to ask for help, even if that means you ask someone in your class, as opposed to a teacher or AI/TA. There are different ways of asking for help, and if you don’t understand, that is why such options exist. We’ve all experienced embarrassment or shyness at least once in our life, but in college, remember, even the best students struggle sometimes.

I’m not here to provide room for embarrassment, I’m here to provide insight from the experience of being overwhelmed and embarrassed where I ended up feeling proud of myself for overcoming those same feelings. In college, you must learn that asking for help pays off almost always.

4) Participate in class and attend class. I, for one, am guilty of skipping class for lots of reasons, those same reasons being irrelevant and pointless. Many of us are in the same boat, especially when we have early classes or have an extremely … boring … professor … who… drags … on … and … on … and … on (ring a bell?).

Unfortunately, getting good grades does mean going to class when there’s no reason for a class to be missed. Growing up means being responsible and being responsible means doing what needs to be done, even when we don’t like it. Participate in class discussions and attend class.

5) Let go of the college stereotype. Not sure what I mean? How many of you reading this skip classes every week due to a long night of weeknight drinking or partying? Yeah, that’s what I mean. Like I said, part of growing up is about knowing when to be responsible. We’ve all heard and know the college stereotype, “college years are party years” and though that may be true, college is also for starting your adult lives and getting prepared for your future careers.

Some of you reading this may be upperclassmen (juniors, seniors, graduate school attendees) and some lowerclassmen (freshmen, sophomores) which means those of you upperclassmen may know exactly what I mean. When we’re in high school, we look forward to college because it’s where you have fun and when we get here, we try to party as much as we can. However, the older we get, we realize partying is only a SMALL part of college.

Underclassmen, take my advice when I say there will always be a party but there will not always be time to get good grades and succeed in life. To pass your classes, you must be able to set partying aside when your studies need more attention. Follow that last step, and I promise you that you will be much happier. Not to mention, be able to party more.

Some of you reading those steps may think that I’m overdoing it or exaggerating but take it from my peers and I when we say that following these five specific steps may end up saving you from failing. There’s always going to be another party but college doesn’t last forever, and some of us cannot afford second or third chances to get it right. Study first, party later. I promise you won’t regret it!