At this point in the semester, it is easy to take a complacent attitude towards classes. Courses are just now becoming difficult, with even more complicated concepts waiting in the wings. Students are getting involved in clubs and activities, and it is a large temptation to ignore responsibilities and commitments.
This is often when students let assignments slip. A common attitude is, It’s just one homework, it won’t hurt me,” or, “Where’s the harm in skipping one class?” Falling behind is dangerous in college classes; in many cases the workload is high enough to bury those who are behind, and professors and TA’s won’t notice until the student is too far gone.
Since this is a common problem among students, the best way to fight it is to stay focused. Try to get work done when there is nothing to do, or when all your friends are not around. If you have a chance to get ahead, take it! Don’t be afraid to take the extra time to be prepared for a quiz or exam; a few points here or there could save your grade at the end of the semester.
You can also benefit from doing the assigned reading. You buy those books for a reasons—just take them out from under the short leg of your bed, remove the plastic wrap, and read them. College is supposed to be more involved than high school and yet, invariably, students are whining about having to read a chapter a week.
In addition to everything you can do by yourself, there are myriads of things that you can do outside of your room. Office hours of the professors and TA’s are an often untapped resource. Also, many classes have supplementary sessions which are led by other students.
College is a time to make the best of the education that you are paying for. Don’t neglect your learning now; it may catch up with you down the road.
