Credit: Beth Rankin

For some students, acing a class is simple and painless. However, for most of us, it takes a little more work.

Here’s a list of tips to help you land a grade of A in even your most difficult course.

Go to class

It seems so simple, yet for many students, it’s the hardest tip to follow.

Most professors agree it is more difficult to fail a student who they recognize and who has attended and participated in class.

Make friends

If it is unavoidable and you have to miss class, the next step is to find out what you missed.

Junior nursing major Pam Day learned that it is beneficial to find someone in your class who can lend you the notes and inform you of any changes made to the syllabus.

Know office hours

Professors take a few hours out of their schedules each week to be available to meet with students.

This is the best time to talk to your professor, one-on-one, and find out how you’re doing in the class or get help if you’re struggling.

Academic Success Center

The Academic Success Center is one of the best-kept secrets on campus. Many incoming freshmen don’t discover its benefits, such as Supplemental Instruction and tutoring, until much too late.

Supplemental Instruction is a series of review sessions available for many LER courses that have proven to be difficult for many students.

For those who are looking for help on a more personal level, tutors are available for weekly sessions in small groups. Tutoring sessions are limited, so if you know you struggle in a particular subject, sign up for a tutoring session at the beginning of the semester.

Time management

“Study a little bit each night so you’re not overwhelmed for the test,” Day said. Cramming weeks of information into your brain during one all-nighter is not an effective way to study.

Look over your notes from class each night, so when the night of the test rolls around, you will only be reviewing the information.

Your adviser is your friend

Every college student’s worst nightmare is to finish up his or her last year of classes only to find out that he or she missed one course crucial to graduation.

Meeting with an adviser every semester, prior to scheduling classes, is the easiest way to prevent this from happening. Your adviser will make sure you’re on the right track and let you know exactly what classes to take each semester and graduate on time.

Don’t give up

Eileen Everett, a non-tenure track professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, said, “If you’re having problems or struggling in a class, go see your professor during office hours.”

Most professors are more than happy to help out a student in need. Extra credit or bonus points might be available to those students who take the time to sit down and talk to their professors.

Contact general assignment reporter at Jessica Lentine at [email protected].