1) Don't think you can get good grades without studying - You may think you know the material enough to study for just an hour or not at all. But in reality, the information you already know is not enough to get a good grade on your exam. Just because you are somewhat familiar with a subject does not mean you know enough to succeed on a tough exam. So to be safe, study as much as you usually do on an exam you aren’t as familiar with.
2) Don’t skip class- Go to class everyday; it is as simple as that. Skipping class may seem awesome to you, but it is horrible for your grade.
3) Don’t give up- This may seem cliché but it is important. Just because you got a poor grade on one exam does not mean you can’t salvage your overall grade. You will have plenty of opportunities to make up for your bad grade. Let it motivate you to give it your all and achieve to the best of your ability.
4) Don’t focus to much on one class and neglect another – Yes you will have classes that are harder than others and you should spend a little more time on your harder classes. But do NOT neglect your other ones. Maintain a consistent study plan for all of your courses regardless of the difficulty of each one. Yes spend more time on the harder ones, but don’t forget about the others.
5) Don’t let things distract you- You can’t let your social life affect your school work. Your social life is very important, but you cannot let it distract you from school. My recommendation is to plan your social life around your schoolwork, leave yourself time to study but also leave enough time to spend with your friends. Doing homework 24/7 shouldn’t be how you spend your week. Do adequate studying but also save time for family and friends.
6) Don’t procrastinate- Procrastination is an epidemic that affects almost all students and it is very hard to avoid. But you must try. Work on your homework as soon as it’s assigned. Or if you’re assigned a project or paper, start to work on it as soon as possible. Avoiding procrastination helps avoid the stress from not having enough time to finish your work.
