Getting Ahead in College
College is the time where you can focus on you and your needs. It is also the time to make sure you are doing everything you can do get what you need done. Somehow, in college there is always more that needs to be done than you originally think. When things sneak up on you, this is one of the fastest ways to fall behind, which can be detrimental in college considering the work never stops. There is almost no time to play catch-up, so the best thing you can do is get ahead so those little moments of insanity do not engross all of your free time.
Lists for Getting Ahead
The first thing you want to do is make a list of the next 2 weeks’ worth of homework. Once that is done, take a weekend to stay home and complete all of the work. By doing this you are getting yourself 2 weeks ahead and can continue to stay one week ahead of yourself for the remainder of the semester. This process allows for those surprise assignments, tests, and quizes to get done and passed. It sounds like a lot, and it is, but it is well-worth it when you notice that you are never behind, but rather ahead.
This also allows for the times when you are not feeling well to take a break and get better. If you miss class, since your assignments are already done, you can E-mail them in to your professors to show that you are keeping up with the work. Getting ahead will never hurt you.
Writing Your Papers Ahead of Time
Writing papers early is also a great idea. I suggest writing a paper two weeks before it is do. If you do this, you can give the paper to your professor as a first-draft and get his/her comments. You can then alter the paper according to the comments in order to get a better final grade. Some professors consider this pre-grading and will not do it, but if you show that you are putting that much effort into it, they are bound to help you out.
College is not about getting just enough done to get by, it is about getting enough done to get ahead in life. That applies to your college assignments and your career. Do not take college as it comes as you, take it with leaps and bound and get ahead of everyone else. It will all pay off in the end and you will be more relaxed for it.
