For many, college is the first time as a young adult that you’ll need to make choices without the influence of your parents. You’ll have to manage your time in order to do juggle new responsibilities, schoolwork and personal life. Nobody will tell you when to get up for class or when to study despite distractions.
Here are five tips to ensure you’ll be successful in college:

Read your Textbooks

You’ve already paid for them – now it’s time to put the time into reading them! Make notes directly in the book, highlight important text and then review those sections prior to the test. Professors will likely cover major topics in class, but the textbook is perfect for getting more in-depth information that may show up on tests and quizzes.

Attend Class

Conversely, reading your textbook alone won’t ensure success. Your professor can not only provide valuable insight to the text, a portion of your grade will likely be based on class attendance. You do not want to miss your college courses, that is what you are there for!

Take Notes

Use your classroom time effectively by taking notes. Keep a notebook for every class and use outlines organized by date and topic. If you have terrible handwriting or you prefer to type, you can use a laptop instead.

Do Your Homework

Yes, you will have to complete all your assigned work both in class and at home to do well in college. Not only does homework account for a portion of your grade it also reinforces the lectures and reading so that you retain the information.

Study! Review! Study!

All the above won’t matter if you don’t review everything you have learned. Study your notes, study your homework, and study your textbooks.

The most important thing to remember about being successful in college is that if you make sure to stay ahead of your work, you will never fall behind. Time-management is a skill that you will need well beyond your college education.