As part of being a college student, you’ll wind up taking a bunch of classes. At times, these classes will be supremely interesting and enlightening. At other times, you might really struggle to stay awake throughout the entire hour. But regardless of how you feel about your class, your ultimate academic success will largely depend on how you handle these classes and learn the materials presented. So to help ensure you’re able to do this effectively, here are three tips for making the most of the time you spend in your college classes whether its online business courses or in person:
Sit Near The Front Of The Classroom
To give yourself the best chance of success in the classroom, you have to set yourself up to listen well and pay attention. As part of this, GetSchooled.com recommends that you sit in the front of the classroom or lecture hall. Not only will this allow you to see the board or screen more clearly, but it will also put you sitting closer to your professor. And while this might not be something you’re particularly excited about, being right up from will encourage you to keep quiet, stay awake and alert, and limit your distractions. So rather than sitting in the back row with your phone in your hand for the entire class, move yourself forward and actually pay attention to what the professor is trying to teach you.
Get To Know Your Professor
Speaking of your professor, it can be insanely helpful and beneficial to you as a student if you get to know the professors that you’re taking classes from. Getting to know your professors, either through your class participation or from scheduling meetings during their office hours, will help you stand apart from the rest of their students. The benefits to this include feeling more invested in their class and their subject matter as well as building connections that you can use well into the future of your academic or professional career. But when trying to get to know your professors better, Carolyn Cutrone and Melissa Stanger, contributors to Business Insider, recommend you start from the very beginning of your class time with them, as the stresses of the semester can quickly build and make relationship building with staff members much harder.
Be Smart About How You Take Notes
To actually do well in your classes, meaning that you learn and understand the material and can perform well on tests, it’s often vital that you can take good notes during class. To help you with this, Elizabeth Lundin, a contributor to College Info Geek, advises that you take notes by hand rather than on a laptop or tablet. By doing this, your brain will more easily absorb the information and convert it into your memory. Additionally, you’ll need to find an effective way for you to take notes, as this can vary drastically from person to person.
If you’re wanting to do well in your college classes, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you get the most out of the time you spend in classes or lectures.