How to Get the Most Out of Your Classes

So this isn’t necessarily about Getting Straight A’s, it’s more about actually gaining something of value. Grades are important but it’s also important to get the most out of your classes, especially because they’re most likely expensive as hell. They also take up a huge chunk of time in your life and if you’re going to be spending time and money, you definitely want to be adding something valuable to your life!

They also take up a huge chunk of time in your life and if you’re going to be spending time and money, you definitely want to be adding something valuable to your life! Sometimes the classes you predict will be the most irrelevant and asinine end up being the classes that help better your life or help you gain knowledge you can use in the future. For me, the class I thought would be a waste of my life was Community Psychology and it ended up shifting my perspective, teaching me lessons that I can apply to real life and I even ended up using it as inspiration for some blogs and articles!

1. Actually do the readings.

You don’t need to read everything all of the time because as most of us learn (usually the hard way) that not all of the information is something we need to know in terms of life or even in terms of getting a good grade.

If a reading is very long, I often skim it and if something I come across interests me, I’ll read more. This is helpful for classes you don’t exactly love or classes where you feel the readings aren’t necessary. At least give them a chance by skimming them and reading the conclusion. It’s not always as great as reading the entire thing but it’s definitely better than nothing.

2. Take notes (even on things you don’t need to know for the exam/homework).

If something interests you, even though it won’t be on the test, write it down. It’s good to look back on or to help you remember fun facts/interesting thoughts.

3. Engage with the professor and participate.

I haven’t actually been aware of this until this year, or maybe I was blocking it in my mind, but I’m one of those kids in class who often participates. I’m not the one who’s always unsolicitedly offering her opinion and disrupting, but I am the one answering questions and adding to debates. You might hate me, you might love me for allowing you to get away with not raising your hand, but participating is such a great thing.

The professor will know who you are, your participation grade will be awesome and you can help steer the discussion to your interests and you can also bring up your own relevant thoughts. Even if your class isn’t discussion-based, there are almost always times for participation and times where you can add something to the class.

Plus, I totally learned this in my Community Psychology class, participation gives you a sense of community and importance. When you feel important and like you belong, you’ll likely have a better attitude and feel  more inclined to be active in your classes and learning.

4. Choose your classes wisely

There’s not always wiggle room for classes, but when you do have the option to take classes that you have an interest in or believe you can get value out of. Although I will say that classes I thought I wouldn’t learn anything from sometimes ended up being incredibly valuable and classes I thought I’d learn a lot from ended up being a waste of my life…*cough*…anyway.

This also applies to time slots–if you know that by 5PM you’re done with learning for the day, try to stay away from night classes. The same goes for morning classes, if you know you’ll barely be awake for it, try to pick a different time.

{ Related: Guide to Choosing Classes in College }

5. Avoid rushing assignments.

When you’re rushing things you won’t get as much out of it than if you had taken your time, done research and produced a product you’re proud of. Classes are a time commitment outside of the actual class time, so try to avoid mass procrastination.

{ Related: 10 Ways to Stop Procrastinating }

6. Ask questions

This is great for your participation grade, so long as you ask smart questions. Also, if you’re afraid to ask a question during class ask your professor one on one after class or even at office hours.

These questions asked in office hours don’t need to necessarily be about what’s going on in class; if your professor is an expert in their field and you’re interested in that or something they studied, ask them about it. You’ll be getting the information you wouldn’t be getting otherwise.

7. Follow class related topics in the news

If you’re in a politics class, check up on the latest bills and laws and government happenings in the news before class. If you’re taking a fashion class, even flipping through issues of Vogue is keeping you relevant. If you want updates on specific things, turn on Google Alerts, which lets you know if a specific phrase or topic is being brought up in the news.

This will allow you to have more knowledge and to tie your class knowledge to real world happenings. It’s super interesting and it also helps you retain more information when you’re often applying it. Plus, it’s another way to participate if you occasionally e-mail the professor related articles or videos to something you discussed in class–it shows you’re paying attention and are interested. Most professors really enjoy this and sometimes will even share them in class.

8. Shift your mindset.

Lastly, if you’re in the class solely to get a good grade, you won’t get the most out of it. I know this doesn’t apply to all classes (especially ones with incompetent professors), but taking a class to do well and to actually learn is the goal. If you change your mindset to focus on gaining knowledge and experience, you’ll definitely get the most out of your classes.

If you don’t want to learn, it’ll be much harder to. I know that when I don’t care about a subject and really don’t care about gaining any value from it, my stubbornness impacts my learning. Since I’m aware of that, I always force myself to pay attention in these classes but I allow myself to complain because ya girl loves to complain about things. Honestly, I’ve learned something from all of my classes in college so far, even if it’s just that sometimes professors know less than the students. (It’s okay to be a little salty sometimes)

How do you get the most out of your classes?