by Aris Jameson

Created on: May 22, 2008   Last Updated: April 03, 2010

Transitioning from high school to college is very difficult for some students, especially those who are under the impression that getting good grades in high school will automatically translate into success at the college level. The following are tips that will help make your transition as smooth as possible:

1) Attendance. Being present in class has not only been proven by experts to be the number one way to absorb information, but it will increase the inclination of your professors to award extra initiative points at the end of the semester. Say you finish a class with a 79.3 average. If your professor sees that you've attended most class sessions, he or she will be much more likely to bump you up to a B-. Plus, colleges are expensive, and your college will gladly take your money whether you attend classes or not, so it would behoove you to get the most bang for your buck as possible.

2) Professionalism. Believe me, there is nothing harder than trying to do well in a class where the teacher doesn't like you. I recently spoke with a long-time family friend who has been teaching at a state college for ten years, and he told me that he'll make every attempt to ensure that professional students to well in class. But if a kid behaves rudely in his class or continually makes snide remarks, then he'll just give that person a C on every paper. And since grading papers is completely subjective, a professor can pretty much give you a poor grade just because he or she doesn't like you. So do yourself a favor, act professionally, don't talk in class, and don't do anything that might land you on the professor's bad side.

3) Don't Procrastinate! (or at least try not to) This is often times easier said than done, because everyone, including myself, is guilty of procrastinating once or twice. But don't let it become a habit, especially on writing assignments, as it is very difficult to write an entire paper in one night. Give yourself a few nights to review and revise your work. The same goes for studying, try not to cram everything into one night.

4) Read your work aloud. The easiest way to do poorly on a writing assignment is to hand in your paper without checking it. When professors see silly mistakes that could have been obviated by reviewing your work, it makes them think that you don't care enough about their class to even read your own paper, and your grade will suffer. Rarely is a paper written perfectly the first time, so take five minutes to revise it. And don't procrastinate to the point where you don't even have enough time to check your own work.

5) The most important tip - BE ORGANIZED! Designate a folder for each class and put all of your papers from that class in the folder. Make sure you don't lose or throw away any documents, because if a professor gives you an incorrect grade at the end of the semester, the onus is on you to prove him or her otherwise. Last year, a science professor incorrectly noted in his grade book that I had received a 74 on a test when I had actually gotten a 94, and I had to show him the test at the end of the semester. If I had thrown out or lost the test, there would have been no way for me to prove that I had actually gotten a 94. Mistakes happen, so prepare for them and keep all of your documents in labeled folders.

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