How to do well on any course

I was a lousy high school student. I did the opposite of everything I am going to suggest here. However, when I started university I made a promise to myself: 1) I would attend every class unless I was really sick; and 2) I would do every assignment to the best of my ability.

That worked pretty well. I can’t honestly say I was a straight A student, but I was considered for a medal awarded to the graduates with the best overall record. I breezed through the post graduate courses because I already had a firm foundation on which to build.

Since university I taught for many years. Secondary school for eight years and many one or two-day mini-courses and seminars over the years. I have also taken a lot of courses, from assembler code for computer operating systems to advanced income tax to music composition. Doesn’t matter what the subject of a course is. If I take it, I will do well. The reason is that, in addition to the two promises in the first paragraph that I made and kept, I have developed some insights over the years from both a teacher’s and a student’s perspective  that I’m going to share with you.

First, every classroom has a sweet-spot that is worth a few marks to whoever sits there. If the instructor is right handed, the sweet-spot is in the second or third row (depending on the size of the classroom), about the mid-right of the room. (If there are ten rows of seats it would be the third seat from the right.) If the teacher is left-handed, then sit in the complimentary seat on the left side of the room. The reason is simple: when writing on a marker board or flip-sheet, that is the direction the teacher will be facing most often. And, you want the instructor to notice you (for the right reasons, not the wrong ones).

You should also volunteer to answer questions. Even if you are wrong, the fact that you are responding to the teacher gives the teacher a more favourable impression of you (everyone likes to know that he is being listened to). But, do not volunteer too often. You don’t want to become one of those students who dominate the class; even the instructor will become annoyed with you after a time; the other students long before that. My rule of thumb is: I will pause before raising my hand long enough to see if there are others volunteering answers. If no one else responds, I will raise my hand. The occasional funny remark is okay, but, don’t overdo it—and don’t become perceived as a “smart-ass;” no one likes them.

When it comes to assignments, it should not be necessary to tell you to do all of them as best and as neatly as you can. Even if the teacher does not “check homework,” she will know who is putting in the effort and who isn’t. Also, doing the assignments is a way of reinforcing what the instructor was trying to get across to you. If given a choice of assignments or questions, pick the most difficult. The reason? Almost all of the other students will pick the easy route—and you don’t want to be perceived as “just another student.” Even if you mess up while attempting the hardest assignment, the teacher will appreciate that you took the time and effort and is likely to spend some extra time with you showing you where you went wrong.

Everyone hates exams. But, they are less stressful if you review your class notes and materials regularly throughout the course. Repetition makes the memory stronger. And, most importantly, the night before the exam put your books away. Relax and get a good night’s sleep. Cramming at the last minute will not make up for the time you should have spent in the days and weeks before; and, you will do better on the exam if you are relaxed and well-rested.

Take at least three pens with you into the exam. You do not want to be caught without a reliable writing instrument mid-exam. Bring whatever accessories you are permitted: like calculators or dictionaries. Relax. Read the entire exam over before starting to write down answers (your brain will be working on some of the questions in the background while you are focused on the one at hand). Estimate how much time you will need for each section of the exam, and plan accordingly. If the exam is two-hours long and there are four equally-sized sections spend twenty minutes on each section (you will need time for review later). If you don’t complete a section within your time limit, go on to the next section and return later if you have time remaining. Read your answers over before handing in your paper; read them twice if you have time. Ask yourself: Do they make sense? Do they address the questions?

If you finish an exam in less than two-thirds of the allocated time, then you possibly have not answered in the detail required or you could have missed part of a question. The earlier you finish, the more time you should spend reviewing.

Let me give you an example of what a simple oversight can cost. One year I was writing an exam on business income tax returns. The questions were generally true-false, but explanations for the answers were required and the explanations were to be written in complete sentences with references to the particular tax law or ruling. Simple enough, right? However, though the explanatory part of my answer clearly answered the question correctly I did not specifically state whether the answer was “yes” or “no” as asked. The result: instead of a perfect grade, I got 97%. Perfect grades are a rare species that should be sought after with care and preparation—and cherished when you get one.