In each course in college, do the following:
- Read the syllabus carefully as soon as you get it, to learn what the professor thinks you should be able to accomplish by the end of the course. Note the due dates of all assignments and exams in your calendar.
- Do the assigned readings before course meetings so you can get the most out of your time in the classroom.
- Start course assignments early so you have time to really think about them, set them aside, and return for a fresh perspective.
- Do the work yourself: cheating on homework by looking up the answers online will just make it more likely that you’ll do badly on exams.
- Ask questions in class. Visit your professor’s office hours and ask more questions.
- Join a study group to get practice in discussing the material.
- Think about how the current course relates to material from past courses or the other ones you’re taking alongside it. Putting together the big picture will make each course more understandable.
- When studying for exams, do practice problems you’ve never seen before from scratch, try writing timed practice essays, or write up an annotated course outline summarizing what you’ve learned. Reading over your notes isn’t an effective way to study. You have to do something active that forces you to examine or apply the material in a fresh way.
- Above all, convince yourself that the material is fascinating and that you love it. That makes it easier to spend time thinking about it.