Making the grade: climb to greater academic heights in college with this advice on choosing courses, selecting a major, writing papers, and dealing with professors

Careers and Colleges, March-April, 2005 by Tracey Randinelli

* THE OFFICE VISIT. One of the best ways of getting to know a professor is also one of the most underutilized. At most colleges, professors designate several hours a week as "office hours": times when students can talk to them about grades, assignments, and problems they have with the class material. But if you ask most professors, you'll find that office hours are often very quiet.

"We have several professors who use our center for their office hours," says Rutgers University's Grove, "and they get lonely sitting there."

The University of Cincinnati's Meredith suggests visiting a professor early in the semester to say hello and introduce yourself. "If you only see the professor after you've bombed the midterm, they may look at it as, 'Oh they're just trying to save their grade.'" Meredith stresses that taking advantage of office hours throughout the semester can definitely help your final grade. "If it's a difference between a B-plus and an A, maybe if you've been to his office a couple of times he'll remember it and you'll get the A."

* FACING PROBLEMS. It's also important to remember that professors are people, too. Sure, they might have PhDs, but as Teagan says, "They're dads and moms and aunts and uncles just like anybody else." If you're having a problem, most will do whatever they can to help. Becky Libby, a student at the University of Southern California, found herself floundering in a first-year writing class. To her surprise, her professor noticed something was bothering her and came to her rescue. "She met with me every day for literally two weeks to bring my writing up to par," Libby remembers.

TAKE NOTE

In high school, studying is a day-to-day process. You go to class, you get homework, you do it. Your teacher tells you you're having a test next Friday, you study, you take the test. You might know a paper is due in two weeks, but that's about as far into the future as you get.

In college classes however, your semester is usually mapped out from Day 1. Most professors hand out a syllabus on the first day of class. The syllabus tells you when to expect quizzes and tests, when papers are due, what you'll be expected to read in time for each class, even the topics that will be covered in each day's lecture. The syllabus makes it easier to see how you'll be progressing throughout the semester, but it also puts more responsibility on you to make sure you're getting the work done--and doing it well.

Taking good notes is a vital step in the process. Again, you'll probably find it was easier in high school. A high school class environment is usually more interactive, while a college-level introductory class can consist of 90 minutes of lecture. Trying to copy the lecture verbatim isn't very smart, unless you happen to be a court reporter or stenographer. Taping a lecture helps, but it takes valuable time to transcribe the tape.

Instead, make sure you've read the assigned material before class--that way, you'll have some idea of what the professor is going to say before he or she says it. During the lecture, don't try to take down every word the professor says. Instead, look or listen for clues that will tell you what topics or ideas the professor thinks matters. Did he or she write something on the board? Mention something more than once? Illustrate an idea with examples? Chances are, those are things the professor considers important--and will probably include on an exam. "You want to synthesize and identify the main points," says Michigan Tech University's Gorman.