I have consistently made Dean's List every semester since I started school. Do I attribute it to my studying skills? HELL NO. I attribute my academic success in my college years to strategically planning my class schedules each semester. Having the right classes at the right time with just the right professor literally makes ALL of the difference - especially if you're a student like me who works as well. Here are some general rules for choosing classes:
1) ALWAYS pick the professor, not the class or time - too often I see my peers choose a 1 o'clock class with a shitty professor instead of a 10 a.m. with a truly great professor. Trust me, it is in your best interested to take the 10 a.m.
2) If you will not wake up to take 8 a.m.'s, don't sign up for 8 a.m.'s. Be realistic - if you are bar tending or waitress at night, you will probably end up skipping early classes and fall behind really quickly.
3) Do not, I repeat, DO NOT rely on your adviser to pick your schedule to suit your best interest's. I have been to 3 universities and it's the same no matter where you go. You are your own advocate. This is also the hardest step to commit to because it will require you to do some research as to what classes you need to take each semester to graduate on time (for example - you need to take certain classes that may seem to you TOTALLY unrelated before you can register for higher level classes.) I literally have a chart of what classes I've taken each semester, what classes need prerequisites, and how many credits each semester I've taken.
4) A few days before registration opens, whether it's online or at the Bursar's, look up your ideal schedule with a few alternatives for classes that you think may fill up quickly. For a few weeks before registration, if not months, you should be able to go online and find out what classes are open that semester and who is teaching them.
5) Use ratemyprofessors.com. I attribute most of my college success to this website. Research your professors. Find out which ones will give you the most bang for your buck because let's be honest, most of them won't. For example, here is a link to one of my favorite professors review page - http://www.ratemyprofessors.com/ShowRatings.jsp?tid=310232
6) If you are still a high school senior, TAKE SUMMER CLASSES BEFORE FRESHMAN YEAR. You will be ahead of the curve, you will have a realistic idea of what college classes are really like, and you can get a really annoying class out of the way.
7) Do not load up on all of your required courses. It's easy to say "Oh, I'll take Financial Accounting, Calculus, Business Stat, Macroeconomics, and French 3 to get them out of the way". It won't work. I know that I personally struggle with math courses, so I've really tried to balance having 1 math related course, 2 or 3 major requirements, and then a language or gen ed.
8) If online registration begins at 7 a.m. - GET UP. It is worth one day of suffering to get into the classes that will guarantee you a year's worth of success.
9) E-mail your professor prior to the start of class to introduce yourself, find out what book you need, etc. Nothing rubs a professor the wrong way more than you showing up completely unprepared and without a textbook until 3 weeks in. Unfortunately, they often times won't give you credit for assignments you missed in that time period too.
I hope this helps!
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