How does one make good grades in college?

[irishScott]

Originally posted by: Imp

Originally posted by: Inferno0032

Originally posted by: frostedflakes
Depends on the major. If it's engineering, you better forget about having any free time.

This. 2nd semester engineering, and it blows. No free time at all, all my "free" time is spent playing basketball or lifting, and every now and then some videogaming.

Not entirely true. I had about 3-4 hours of freetime on average per week night. On weekends, I was free until 8 or 9 pm; in all honesty, I usually took Saturdays off cause I couldn't force myself to work. I even held a one day a week part-time job up until third year.

I was a civ by the way. Let me guess, you're all electric/mech/comps and way harder...

Lol you Civies. Maybe there are some hardcore CivE schools out there, but as far as my Engineering department goes, it's the following in terms of unofficial prestige amongst the students.

1. Chemical
2. Electrical & Computer
2.5 Mechanical
4. Civ
5. Environmental

<-----------CPEG FTW!

 

[imported_Imp]

Originally posted by: irishScott

Originally posted by: Imp

Originally posted by: Inferno0032

Originally posted by: frostedflakes
Depends on the major. If it's engineering, you better forget about having any free time.

This. 2nd semester engineering, and it blows. No free time at all, all my "free" time is spent playing basketball or lifting, and every now and then some videogaming.

Not entirely true. I had about 3-4 hours of freetime on average per week night. On weekends, I was free until 8 or 9 pm; in all honesty, I usually took Saturdays off cause I couldn't force myself to work. I even held a one day a week part-time job up until third year.

I was a civ by the way. Let me guess, you're all electric/mech/comps and way harder...

Lol you Civies. Maybe there are some hardcore CivE schools out there, but as far as my Engineering department goes, it's the following in terms of unofficial prestige amongst the students.

1. Chemical
2. Electrical & Computer
2.5 Mechanical
4. Civ
5. Environmental

<-----------CPEG FTW!

I thought chem would me lower on the list. Not sure where mineral/mining eng and industrial eng go.

 

[TecHNooB]

I'm a junior in EE and it is HELL. Freshman year? EZ. Sophomore and beyond? OMG

Bail out. Bail out!!

(note: I'm the worrying type)

 

[LW07]

i plan to do a work-study thing. Is Information-technology a math-heavy degree?

I did well in school math up till pre-calculus, which i did good in at first but slipped in as i got lazy, grade went down to a C in the 4th 9 weeks, but then again the teacher was a b**** and got on my case for the smallest crap, would mark off points on tests for the slightest crap, and even gave these things called pop-homework quizzes, where she would randomly select questions from your homework and you had to copy down your answers from your homework, which i'm one of those guys who puts it off till the day before its due, so i usually didn't do well on those, and when i did do my homework she would count off for the slightest crap. Guess i'll have to change that habit in college. Hopefully i won't end up with a professor like her in college. I despise teachers that give pop quizzes.


I'm now taking AP calculus as my senior math class and I do pretty well in there, i don't even have to pay attention and i can just copy off people for my homework, scrub off the smart people in group quizzes, talk in class, study the review on the last day, and still do pretty well.

 

[irishScott]

Originally posted by: Imp

Originally posted by: irishScott

Originally posted by: Imp

Originally posted by: Inferno0032

Originally posted by: frostedflakes
Depends on the major. If it's engineering, you better forget about having any free time.

This. 2nd semester engineering, and it blows. No free time at all, all my "free" time is spent playing basketball or lifting, and every now and then some videogaming.

Not entirely true. I had about 3-4 hours of freetime on average per week night. On weekends, I was free until 8 or 9 pm; in all honesty, I usually took Saturdays off cause I couldn't force myself to work. I even held a one day a week part-time job up until third year.

I was a civ by the way. Let me guess, you're all electric/mech/comps and way harder...

Lol you Civies. Maybe there are some hardcore CivE schools out there, but as far as my Engineering department goes, it's the following in terms of unofficial prestige amongst the students.

1. Chemical
2. Electrical & Computer
2.5 Mechanical
4. Civ
5. Environmental

<-----------CPEG FTW!

I thought chem would me lower on the list. Not sure where mineral/mining eng and industrial eng go.

That's just here in Delaware, so it's just the majors Delaware offers. Our CHEG program is insane. Computer labs are open and filled with CHEGgers until 2am for weeks surrounding finals/midterms.

 

[Jabbernyx]

Was a EE. Keep up to date / never let yourself fall behind, try to ask the profs questions, try to read in advance of lectures (reinforces your memory of the material) and hit the books like you'd hit Kate Beckinsale.

 

[Farang]

Originally posted by: Jabbernyx
Was a EE. Keep up to date / never let yourself fall behind, try to ask the profs questions, try to read in advance of lectures (reinforces your memory of the material) and hit the books like you'd hit Kate Beckinsale.

With a brick in a dark alleyway? That does not seem conducive to studying.

 

[Bignate603]

Originally posted by: LW07
i plan to do a work-study thing. Is Information-technology a math-heavy degree?

I did well in school math up till pre-calculus, which i did good in at first but slipped in as i got lazy, grade went down to a C in the 4th 9 weeks, but then again the teacher was a b**** and got on my case for the smallest crap, would mark off points on tests for the slightest crap, and even gave these things called pop-homework quizzes, where she would randomly select questions from your homework and you had to copy down your answers from your homework, which i'm one of those guys who puts it off till the day before its due, so i usually didn't do well on those, and when i did do my homework she would count off for the slightest crap. Guess i'll have to change that habit in college. Hopefully i won't end up with a professor like her in college. I despise teachers that give pop quizzes.


I'm now taking AP calculus as my senior math class and I do pretty well in there, i don't even have to pay attention and i can just copy off people for my homework, scrub off the smart people in group quizzes, talk in class, study the review on the last day, and still do pretty well.

Realize that if you want a job (and want to keep it) you need to really learn the stuff in your major's classes. Just picking it up for the test and forgetting it won't cut it.

 

[AccruedExpenditure]

Go to TA/Professor office hours. Once they connect a name to the face you're guaranteed at least a half a grade of leniency on exams/grades

 

[TecHNooB]

Originally posted by: AccruedExpenditure
Go to TA/Professor office hours. Once they connect a name to the face you're guaranteed at least a half a grade of leniency on exams/grades

I honestly don't believe this.

 

[jinduy]

copy homework and cheat on tests

 

[LordMorpheus]

Originally posted by: KevinCU
Pay attention in class, take notes and do the homework.

is truer than

Originally posted by: frostedflakes
Depends on the major. If it's engineering, you better forget about having any free time.

I never felt overworked or swamped, I was in a very strong engineering program. Hell, I'm not even good at organizing myself or planning ahead.

The trick is to start doing your problem sets instead of whining about them, and you'll suddenly find that they'll take half as long if you skip the bitching (it's OK to bitch over drinks with classmates after it's over).

edit: don't skip the parties, don't hermit yourself. My friends that took forever to get shit done just had problems with wasting so much time while working. If you're gonna do a problem set, DO IT, don't whine about it / get depressed abouit it / whatever, just throw yourself in. I'm serious, you will save so much time if you stop feeling sorry for yourself.

 

[looker001]

I am sorry to tell you but grades don't really matter. Unless in the future you're planing on going to grad school, don't bother with high grades.

 

[FleshLight]

You have a 50% chance of dropping out of engineering by your 1st year anyways.

 

[Scarpozzi]

Best advice is to study in a library away from the distractions. If you're diligent you'll find that your study time will count more when you can concentrate on the work. If you're in a dorm around roommates and video games and the internet, you'll end up in a dead-end job that allows you to post on ATOT during the day.

 

[looker001]

Originally posted by: Scarpozzi
Best advice is to study in a library away from the distractions. If you're diligent you'll find that your study time will count more when you can concentrate on the work. If you're in a dorm around roommates and video games and the internet, you'll end up in a dead-end job that allows you to post on ATOT during the day.

LMAO!

 

[Fingolfin269]

Drink, get laid, go to class, good grades. They sort of all come together in one harmonious masterpiece of awesome that I miss way too much.

 

[TecHNooB]

Originally posted by: Scarpozzi
Best advice is to study in a library away from the distractions. If you're diligent you'll find that your study time will count more when you can concentrate on the work. If you're in a dorm around roommates and video games and the internet, you'll end up in a dead-end job that allows you to post on ATOT during the day.

LOL!

 

[Deeko]

Originally posted by: jman19

Originally posted by: Deeko
Don't worry about it - grades don't matter.

Wrong.

Grades aren't everything, that's for sure, but to say they don't matter is silly - how do you know what this guy wants out of college?

Grades only matter if your post-college plans require it - generally, law school, med school, etc.

I graduated with a 2.87 - and I've done much better than most. Hell, only one company even asked me for my GPA - and they're the one I ended up working for!

 

[evident]

Originally posted by: KevinCU
Pay attention in class, take notes and do the homework.

it's really this simple. except that sometimes you have professors that are boring as hell and it's hard to pay attention. like my chemistry I and II where i got D's in

cutting class is fun once or twice a semester, but remember you're paying good money to attend those classes. make good use of the $$

 

[zinfamous]

Originally posted by: LW07
Alright, I'm gonna be going off to college this fall, and it seems like I'll have like 5000 classes, and i hear if you want to make good grades you have to spend 2 to 3 hours studying for every one hour you spend in class.

How will I manage to make good grades and still have personal time for stuff like video games and parties?

do you find that blanket calculations with no details to back them up have worked for you in life? I say this, because everyone hears that same statement before going to college, and it's clearly rubbish.

It entirely depends on the type of class, and the type of person you are. Personally and as a student. Some classes will likely need very little time studying. Some may require several hours per week, or even night. Not likely until the upper courses, though.

You'll have to figure it out for yourself. Chances are, if you made good grades in high school, you probably already know how to study. I made pretty good grades in High school, but never really studied. I had to adjust somewhat after the first semester in college, but i figured out how to study and everything got a good bit easier.

It also helps when you enjoy the course.

 

[zinfamous]

Originally posted by: esun

Originally posted by: KevinCU
Pay attention in class, take notes and do the homework.

Simple as that. If you spend more than a few hours studying for a test, that means you didn't pay enough attention in lecture. If you pay attention and do the homework, the tests should be pretty straightforward (with a few exceptions, of course).

Good luck trying that out with Biochem. You simply can't memorize all of the required structures without spending copious amounts of time outside class practicing them.

 

[zinfamous]

Originally posted by: miketheidiot

Originally posted by: marincounty


Go talk to your professors during office hours. Then you become a person to them and not just another name on a list. You will get better grades.

good advice

This is probably THE most important advice.

 

[zinfamous]

Originally posted by: Brainonska511

Originally posted by: Crusty

Originally posted by: miketheidiot

:laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh:

What are you studying? Art History or something?

Art History - burger flippers of the next generation.

Do you guys really know what is involved with Art History? It ain't easy.

 

[SampSon]

Unless you're shooting for the top .01% (which you aren't if you're asking this question on here), grades really don't matter if you get the paper.