I’m not sure if you know this or not, but this week is Teacher Appreciation Week, and today is National Teachers’ Day. So I thought I’d start my day off (I know. I’m a late sleeper. That’s why you never see me in your 8 a.m. classes) by taking a moment to appreciate you. All of you. For all that you do. Because even though it may sometimes seems like we’ve forgotten it, college students (most of them anyway) do realize that the point of college is to get an education, and that would be pretty difficult without professors.

But I want to thank you for more than just choosing to be college professors; I want to thank you for being really great college professors. Looking back on my four years of college I’ve had some not-so-great professors, but I’ve also had some amazing ones that opened my mind up to thoughts and ideas and novels and topics I never would have considered before. They cared enough to inspire their students. And that’s worth thanking them for.

Teaching is a job. I get that. And as teachers you’re not obligated to do anything more than show up to class (most days) and  give us a grade at the end of the semester (and there are some professors that can’t even handle that). But a lot of you do so much more than that. You go above and beyond what is expected of you. You make class interesting. You make class educational.  And you make class worth attending.

So thank you.

Thank you for all that you do for us. And I do mean, all that you do.

Thank you for not conducting a class straight out of the textbook, for allowing for equal parts lecture and discussion, for assigning a reasonable workload. Thank you for letting it go those days you saw me pull out my cell phone to send a quick text during class, or the days I brought my laptop to class and the only thing I was taking notes on was my Facebook feed. Thank you for not being the professor who schedules a big test the day we come back from Spring Break (or for being that professor but yielding when we begged).

Thanks for staying after class to talk about my big paper with me. Thank you for understanding that there are some days when I’m feeling fare too overwhelmed. Thank you for treating me like an equal. Thank you for extending your office hours so you’d be able to meet with everyone in class. Thank you for letting us out early every once in a while, and for canceling class during those crazy snow storms. Thank you for the study guides and the syllabi and the e-mail reminders, and even for the tests that I hated but really did help me learn my stuff.

But mostly  thank you for being the kind of  teachers who care, not just about academics or our experience with academics, but about us in general.

Sincerely,
A grateful, graduating, college senior

College classes are the perfect example of things that can be accurately judged from a first impression, no matter how fleeting. Let’s take a look at some of the most common experiences you might have on your first day and what they might mean about the class ahead.

What happens: Your prof shows up 10 minutes late, frazzled and smelling heavily of espresso.
What it means: Feel free to come to class in your PJs and contribute to class discussion with garbled comments that aren’t fully formed, since your prof will neither care nor be able to tell the difference.

What happens: A PowerPoint presentation is already up on the screen when you enter, and the prof has a writing implement in his or her breast pocket.
What it means: Watch out, sister! This prof isn’t going to take any shenanigans. S/he is likely to be a hard grader, so start assembling your study group pronto with the cute dudes who sit near you.

What happens: The prof hands out the syllabus, reads it word for word, asks if everyone has the textbook, and dismisses you early.
What it means: Don’t be fooled by the early dismissal. This is a by-the-book prof who isn’t too keen on original ideas and probably doesn’t want to hear yours. Learn to read and regurgitate what’s in the textbook, and fast.

What happens: You all meet at the coffee shop and the prof buys everyone drinks and pastries.
What it means: Count your blessings. Your prof is either really nice or really insecure—better hope it’s the former.

What happens: You do an icebreaker activity with the other students in your class.
What it means: Your prof used to be a corporate motivational speaker. Polish off your phrases of cynicism, because you’ll probably need them for the kind of crap you’re going to hear in this class.

Ready for the big time? Start studying your profs’ mannerisms, fashion sense (or lack thereof), and office decor (yes, that does require you to attend office hours). It might be a pain, but it’s not a waste of time. When you supplement your in-class comments with similar body language or slip in that “Far Side” reference that reflects a cartoon your prof has outside his office door, you can start welcoming those A+’s with open arms!

Question:
So I know that the year is nearly over but I thought I’d send this question anyway. I’m a sophomore and I had an awesome freshman year. I met a bunch of people, I had friends on my hall and it seemed like there was always something to do. And now it’s just not the same. My friends are spread all over campus, my classes are harder and it feels like I’m stuck in the middle: I’m too old to go to frat parties but I’m clearly not old enough to go to the bar. This year just isn’t fun. Is this just me? Do you guys know how to fix this?

GPA Girl:
I believe this is commonly known as the “sophomore slump,” girl. And I don’t want to judge, but it sounds as if your sophomore year isn’t turning out to be so great because you are determined to believe that it’s not as good as last year. I think you need to stop comparing and start considering things differently. The trick is to focus on what’s good and, if possible, to manufacture your own fun. 

Throw a party in your dorm or reserve a lounge to gather all your friends together. You could easily do this once a week, even if it’s just meeting for coffee or studying in a group at the library. If you want to see your friends more, there’s no one stopping you. You also said your classes are harder this year. Well, I know this is a pretty typical “GPA Girl” thing to say, but… didn’t you come to college to learn? If your classes are easy for you, you’re probably not learning much. If you can’t seem to understand anything, though, just drop by your profs’ office hours. People want to help you! Finally, remember that not every party on campus is a frat party, and you don’t have to hit up the bar to have a great time–throw your own party, or find an under-21 hang-out spot that you and your friends love. You really do have to take matters into your own hands. If things are tough for you right now, make them easier! No one is going to do it for you.

Busy Bee:
Sometimes, we have to face the fact that not all things can be as great as they once were. I’m not surprised your freshman year was more fun – it should be, given the fact that it was your first year in college. Many people often feel this way their sophomore year. I’m not sure if there’s a real quick fix, except to just tough it out. There’s only a few more months left in the semester, and the best you can do is to just keep at it until summer arrives. Instead of focusing on your social life, why not try excelling in your tough classes or working on some of your personal goals? School is not always fun, but it’s what you make of it. Also, if you barely see your friends anymore, maybe they’re not really your friends (no offense!). Try making some new ones or joining a club – the bond you create from a shared interest usually creates longer lasting friendships. I say, just try to get through this semester the best you can. As for your partying dilemma, I’ll leave it to our Party Girl!

Party Girl:
Whoa, whoa, whoa – did you just say “too old to go to frat parties”??? Honey, if you’re still going to college, you’re never too old to go to frat parties. Frats are there to serve the needs of the university population who are still too young to go to the bar. I think you’ve hit the “sophomore slump.” I had a similar experience during my sophomore year. Then I realized that my friends were closer than I thought and a house party gets you just as drunk as the bar (possibly even more drunk…it’s so cheap!). Your campus can’t be so large that a simple 20 minute walk wouldn’t get you to a friend’s place. You have so many options! When you finally turn 21, you’ll look at your bank account and start fondly remembering the days of house parties when a cup was $5 and you were encouraged to do keg stands. Seriously – cherish this time. House parties, frat parties, sneaking flasks into the movie theater – all of these are cheap, accessible options to drink underage with your buddies. Grab a friend and take your pick!

Got some college questions? Unsure of a decision? Need some sober fun? Just wanna chat it up with some really awesome chics? We’ve got the girls for you. Hit them up in the comments or shoot them an email with the subject “College Q&A”! They’ve got all the answers you need, no matter who you are.

Question:

My professor is a complete jerk. He talks way too fast in class and I’m always completely lost. I have a big exam coming up so I went to office hours and he refused to help me. He claimed I needed to figure it out for myself. I’ve been trying! I can’t bomb this test (its 30% of my grade) so I don’t know what else to do. Ideas?

GPA Girl:

Wow, that’s incredible. It sounds as if your prof has a major chip on his shoulder for some reason. Luckily, I don’t and I have a few ideas for you. First, you might consider writing your professor a sincere, well-thought-out e-mail that expresses your thoughts tactfully and considerately. Let him know that his class really matters to you and that you are willing to work to figure things out, but that you would really appreciate some guidance from him. Another option is to track down the star students in the class. Are any of them your friends? Could they be bribed with chocolate or beer to help you study for the test and review the material?

Finally, if you still can’t get the help you need and your prof doesn’t change his behavior after you approach him again, I’d recommend writing a letter to your school’s dean or academic advising team to let the right people know about how your professor reacted when you asked for help. If you do badly on the test because of his refusal to help you, they may review your grade and modify it, or–at the very least–your actions may protect future students from having to suffer the academic consequences of your prof’s indifference.

Party Girl:

Throughout your college career, you will have awesome professors and terrible professors. This guy sounds like he’s giving the latter a new meaning and I’m definitely sympathetic. I’ve had my share of beastly instructors. However, you have some options. Even if this d-bag won’t help you, I’m sure some of your fellow students will be willing to extend a helping hand. After all, you guys have to suffer through the same punishment, right? Try comparing notes and seeing if you can fill any holes that way. Whatever book the professor assigned for the class should also help supplement his terrible public speaking skills. Try recording his lectures from now on and playing them back at a slower speed. If all else fails, go to his department head or the dean of that part of your school. They should know what a dick their employee is being. And, of course, if you end up stressed and woefully unprepared for this exam, then start drinking. Most things turn out okay if you just start drinking (right?).

Busy Bee:

OMG. What is his problem?! I guess we can’t rely on all professors to help us, so let’s just weigh out your studying options.

1. Study by yourself. I know it sounds obvious, but sometimes if you put your mind to it, you can really figure out what it is that you don’t know. For me, I try reviewing all the notes I’ve taken in class and creating a big picture diagram. If I know what it is that I’m ultimately trying to understand, it makes all the smaller, detailed pieces fit together. When all the detailed pieces become unclear (so what is the mitochondria’s function, again?) you can either hit the books or do some extensive research online. There’s tons of reliable sources to double and triple check your understanding. Also, flash cards have never failed me! But one of the most important things to note is that because you’re studying by yourself, you won’t be able to consult with someone else for understanding. As a result, make sure you are POSITIVE that everything is correct.

2. Study with a group. Now, this could be a hit or miss. Group studying, if done correctly, will allow you to better your understanding for the subject because you are supposedly reviewing and re-teaching it to others. If you go to a study group and end up gossiping about last night’s party, that won’t help. So a word of advice: you need to study with people who are serious about their grades! You guys will feed off of each other’s energy and there will be some good learning going around.

3. Consult another professor. I’m not sure what subject this is, but there are often a lot of professors who currently teach or have taught that subject. If you seek them out during their office hours, alert them about your issue, and then ask them for help, they may be willing to do so. You may not be their student, but your passion to want to learn might inspire them to help you out. Plus, they may know your professor personally, and can give you tips on how to survive the class!

I know it’s hard to get a good grade when the professor is such a jerk, but just try the best you can. You can also find out who’s taken the class before you, because they might know some ways around it. Either way, just prepare yourself to the best of your abilities…come test time, you might surprise yourself.

So midterms have come and gone. Whether your calling home boasting to mom and dad about how well you’re doing on their $40,000 a year, or crying your eyes out at the thought of failing out of freshman math, everyone is glad to be out of those couple weeks of hell.

For those of us who haven’t aced all of our tests, we have no calm after the storm. We are just hit by another what-if-I-fail-out-of-school-what-will-everyone-think whirlwind.

Our friends at CollegeNews gave some suggestions on what to do to overcome a midterm crisis, which includes talking to your professor and your advisor and re-evaluating your study habits. But what if that’s not enough? What if striking up a convo with your prof during office hours doesn’t change anything? And what does it mean to re-evaluate your study habits?!

Your GPA is the most important thing you’ll take with you when you leave college (well, that and a box full of free t-shirts), so it’s imperative you pick that up and pick it up fast. We’ve compiled a comprehensive list of important things you can (and need to) do now to turn double up that 2.0 and turn it into something worth boasting about.

You know, so your family doesn’t disown you come Christmas.

Cut Thirsty Thursday Out of Your Schedule

Let’s make that any weeknight partying. You’ve had your fun, but some people just don’t have the ability to balance partying and studying, and if you bombed your midterms you’re probably one of those. As hard as it may be you’re going to have to decline party offers and send your roommate in a panicked search for a new pong partner. You can always make yourself a virgin daiquiri while you study to ease the pain.

Add in Study Spurts

Just because you cut out the weeknight partying doesn’t mean you are going to have any more time on your hands. We know your schedule is packed full and that isn’t very conducive to studying. That’s why you’re going to have to get creative. Review notes on the elliptical at the gym. Make flashcards that you can read through on your walk between classes.  You’ll retain more information from these study spurts than you think, which will make the process much easier when you sit down at the end of the day to do last minute cramming.

Make Friends With Scribble Hands

You know that person that never puts their pencil down? They’re going nuts on that notebook and you chuckle at them every once in a while. Well, now the jokes on you because I’m pretty sure Nancy Notetaker aced her midterm. Perhaps you didn’t do so well because your notes are sub par. If you just aren’t capable of taking notes extensive enough to fill their own textbook, your next move is making friends with this note freak. Believe me, no topic will go uncovered, her notebook is a student goldmine…and you need a little gold right now. (Note: no one is gonna give you their notes if you don’t show up to class. The key is to show them how hard you work so they’ll help you…not just give you all the answers.)

Show A Little Love

Yes the majority of us tend to go under the radar. We don’t want to be singled out in class, we don’t want to be best friends with the professor; we just want to get our attendance check and leave. If you bombed your midterm, this is no more. Chances are your professor now knows you anyway (as the girl who got the giveaway question wrong), so you might as well turn it around and have him know you for being the girl who cares about her grade and is trying to make an effort. Show up early to class to clarify any questions you had from the last lecture. And actually participate. Professors have been known to boost a student’s grade when they know they have been working hard and participating in the course, and that 10 percent could keep you from retaking economics next semester.

What other suggestion do you guys have for making the second half of the semester end better than the first?

Now that I’m halfway done with my college career (a pretty cushy place to be, considering I have two more years before the real world), I anticipate all the bright eyed and bushy tailed freshmen about to invade the dorms and use fake-id’s at all my favorite bars. Putting myself in their shoes, I wish that someone had been there to give me advice for my college career (all I got was my Mom telling me not to hook up with any fraternity boys until Spring semester). So I dove in head first and learned a few lessons of my own.

I learned the value of my dry erase board to my social life, I learned that “attendance optional” classes are not always a good thing. I learned that I should always have an assortment of costumes readily available, and that sharing drinks with my friends meant sharing drinks with whoever they made out with (and whoever they made out with…) All of these were very important lessons, and I’d like to share some of the pearls of wisdom I gained my freshman year.

College is not as big a place as you think.

It was easy to assume that a huge new campus meant instant anonymity. Therefore it was also very easy to assume that taking 6 tequila shots, throwing up underneath a bar stool, and going home with some guy in a sombrero at my first college Mexican restaurant experience would have no repercussions. Unfortunately, my hangover proved otherwise, as did the nickname “El Puke Capitan” that followed me around for the rest of my freshman summer. Oh, and Senor Sombrero? In the same section as me for Social Problems that Fall. Bottom line: college is big, but it ain’t that big.

You will not wake up at 7, make a power smoothie, hit the gym, shower then go to your 9 am class. Ever.

Come December of my freshman year, I realized what a mature, responsible and “together” young woman I had become (making your own doctor appointments can have that effect). So, I decided that I’d be way more productive and on top of shiz if I made all my Spring M, W, F classes at 9 am. That way I’d have time to wake up, eat a healthy breakfast and listen to CNN podcasts on my way to hot yoga. After that I’d hit the showers and head off to my first class with a post-workout glow. Unfortunately, that post-workout glow was more like post- flip cup nausea, the closest I got to a healthy breakfast was O.J. with my McMuffin, and I never did make it to the gym. More importantly, I very rarely made it to those early classes. Bottom line: prioritize school over partying, but don’t kid yourself about your ability to turn down nickel beers at your favorite bar. When you have the chance to take a later class, just do it.

If you have the opportunity to bring a big bag out, pack a survival kit.

Clutches are cute, and obviously the more practical handbag option for a night of debauchery, but if you can get away with a monster bag, bring that bad boy out. That way, you can pack a toothbrush, flip flops, Soffes and the proper toiletries to decrease the embarrassment level on your walk of shame. Of course the easiest way to avoid the W.O.S. is not to shack with randos, but if I learned anything my freshman year, it’s that those random nights of terrible decision making will occur. Bonus: you can pack your own condom preference. Her Pleasure, anyone?

If your future roommate shows signs of insanity, it may be time to break the lease.

After successfully surviving two semesters of random roommate pairing, I was extremely excited to get my first apartment my sophomore year and signed a lease with two friends from home and one of their friends. We planned how we would decorate our bedrooms and living room and thought of all the themed dinner/drink nights we would have at our cute little kitchen table. I thought that my new roomies would be GREAT, but looking back, the signs were all there. I realized that saying my third roommate’s name earned me some strange, almost piteous looks from mutual friends. I heard more about her spring break hookups from JuicyCampus than I did from her. She started a fist fight and pressed charges against the other girl.

Yeah, in retrospect I probably would have reevaluated my roommate choice, it would have saved me a broken front window that she kicked in, a whole bunch of food that she ate, hours of sleep lost listening to screaming matches between her and others, and a whole bunch of Claritin from the time she bought a cat (even though my other roomies and I are allergic and our apt. is pet free!) At least in the future I know to make roomie decisions a little more carefully…

Get to Know Your Profs and T.A.’s

Fresh out of high school, the idea of spending any extra face time with a teacher seemed a little…lame. But then I realized that seeing a teacher twice a week (along with 200 other students) would not allow them to ever know who I was (or know that I was their favorite student ever), so I started going to office hours. Professors are always willing to clarify assignments, and LOVE discussing their lecture material (most of them would gladly continue talking long after their hour and 15 minutes is up) and appreciate you being proactive about your grades. T.A.’s like this kind of meeting because it’s less formal than their classroom setting and they can level with you as a peer. Also, it shows them you’re interested in what they have to say. A personal relationship with your professor or T.A. will come in handy when you are running late on an assignment, need extra help, or earn an 89.45% in their class and need an opportunity for extra credit.

Keep your Facebook clean.

When I look back on my freshman year, I look back in neatly captioned and tagged albums via my profile. The first look back last summer, after completion of my first year at college, made me realize that I had some major deleting and de-tagging to do. While those pics of me impressively funnelling or taking ice-luge shots with my besties show my friends I can outdrink them, I didn’t want to know what they would show the family I babysat for if they ever saw. So I started deleting. Goodbye Pikeboy Lingerie Party pics, so long drunk wheelbarrow race to the stadium on gameday, no more 47 second kegstand (47 seconds!!). Yes I will miss these pictures, but they’re still on my hard drive, and now there are no creepy old men enjoying my creative use of Saran Wrap for anything-but-clothes parties. Even better? Employers, professors, and my friends’ parents can judge me based on PG-rated pics. Bottom line: put down the Solo before you say cheese, and you’ll be much happier you did.

So now I’m a second-semester freshman and I am finally getting the hang of what college is all about. And there are two myths that I was told over and over again were not true when I first got here, but I only now agree. I wish I had believed my older friends when they promised me these parts of college were just a stereotype. Instead I shied away from people my first semester, assuming college just couldn’t be so perfect.

First, upperclassmen are not nearly as scary as they seem. Despite the equal age gap between a freshman and senior in high school versus college, the latter feels much smaller. Last semester, I kept far away from anyone who didn’t fit the “oh-my-gosh-I-am-new-so-let’s-hang-out” stereotype. It was comforting to be with people in my same position. I loved my classes with only freshmen. Strength in numbers.

Now, I am the only freshman in my Spanish class, and I have to speak along with the Spanish majors and native speakers. I am also one of the few first years in my Intro to Linguistics class. And instead of feeling intimidated by my seniors, I used them as resources. In Spanish, I talk to majors and people who already studied abroad. It doesn’t matter our age if it’s an introduction course; we’re all learning something new in Linguistics. I wish I had talked to the sophomores, juniors and seniors more last semester. I feel like they would’ve been a great support system.

Another important myth I’ve learned is not true is that professors don’t care about their students. I go to a smaller college, so there are relatively small classes and we’re never taught by TAs. All of my professors have office hours, and I must admit, last semester I was scared to death to meet with them alone. I was sure they’d find my questions simplistic and not worth their time. This is not the case. From emails to office hours to asking questions after and during class, my professors have been so accessible. Whenever I get confused, they’re there. Two of my professors even gave out their home and cell numbers. To them, it’s not their job to lecture and give out grades. This isn’t just a cushy research position with the pesky requirement of teaching, too. It’s their job to help students understand. I finally appreciate that.

If I could have known that these myths were false on the first day of classes last fall, I think I would’ve felt much more comfortable in class. I probably would have created stronger relationships with my previous semester’s professors and I would have more than just freshman friends. Hopefully I can work on that this semester, and maybe next year I’ll be able to warn a freshman from believing the stereotypical college myths of professors and upperclassmen.

[It doesn’t matter what school you go to, what state it is in, how big it is, whether it is public or private, all girls or coed…there are experiences that all college students share.

No matter how crazy you think your personal situation is, it is not just you. So, let’s bring it all out in the open. Right here. Because you are not alone - we’ve all been there before.]

There are many moments in a college student’s existence that are shared by other students around the globe, but none more common than the All Nighter.

You know on the first day of class that there will be a 12-page paper due this Friday. You highlighted it, and put it in your planner. But as the weeks went by – and you sorta stopped showing up for class – you kept pushing the paper off. “I’ll start it this weekend,” you tell yourself a week before it’s due.

But the weekend comes, and with it comes an impromptu house party at your place Friday night, a long recap/hangover session on Saturday, a birthday party Saturday night and work on Sunday. No time for a paper.

You assure yourself that you will do it a little each night this week, but it takes you until Wednesday to realize that heading to the library with the girls and a bag of Baked Lays is not the best way to be productive.

So, now it’s Thursday and the 12-page paper is looming. You scarf down some dinner, say TTFN to the roomies (who are pre-drinking for Thirsty Thursday), and embark on a long-ass night of research and paper writing.

You stop at the drug store on the way and pick up a few things: a couple Red Bulls, a bottle of water, a bag of chips and a Snickers bar. The combination of sugar and caffeine should get you through. When you arrive at the library (because there is no way in hell you’d get this paper done at home), you run past the scene in the reading room and scope out a quiet table in the middle of nowhere so you can’t be distracted. You unpack all of your things, spread them out on the table, turn on your laptop (and turn off your AIM), and get all settled in when you realize that the table you are sitting at is not near an outlet.

Eff.

So, you pack everything back up and find another place to sit.

The first 2 hours go by quickly and you get a lot done: you have the thesis, you have a plan, and now you just have to get writing. You drink a Red Bull and pump out 1.5 pages in the next 30 minutes. And then you crash and start drooling on your keyboard. It’s a war between you and your brain, but you know you must win. You get up, walk around a bit, then come back to write some more.

At some point near about 3am, you eat a little more sugar and pump out the rest of the paper. Your hands are shaking, your eyes are teary, and you are pretty sure you just compared Shakespeare to Will I. Am., but at least you are getting this thing done.

At 5am you finally finish the first draft. It is time to review but you can’t keep your eyes open. You begin to have an internal battle: “If I don’t go home and get some sleep I am going to be a zombie and won’t be able to contribute in class anyway, but if I don’t review the paper and make edits it is totally gonna suck. But, sleep is great. But grades are great. But my bed is so warm and comfy, and this chair sucks, but nothing sucks more than failing this stupid class….”

At some point you pass out.

Eventually you are startled awake (head on desk isn’t very comfortable) and have just under an hour to finish the paper, print it and turn it in.  You are running on pure adrenaline at this point – running from computer to printer to desk to class. You get the paper in just in time, then sneak out of the back of the lecture hall to crawl back into your bed for the rest of the day.

Yeah, we’ve all been there. And don’t worry; we didn’t look as cute and put together as the girl in the picture, either.

This series is meant to provide advice for getting the most out of college, rather than just getting through it. So whether you're a freshman just starting out, or a senior on the job hunt, you've still got plenty of time to live it up (and do it right) as an undergrad.]

If there is one thing you should do before you graduate, it is to make friends with at least one of your professors.

For one thing, a professor has to be well established in his or her field, whether it’s philosophy or business, or something in between. If you get along really well with one of your professors, chances are they can connect you to a job or recommend you for an opportunity you might not have even heard about yet. You remember that old adage when it comes to getting a job, “it’s all about who you know”? Not many twentysomethings are chummy with CEOs or top magazine editors, but your professor might be. Besides, what if some day you do decide to go to law school? Imagine how hard it will be getting a recommendation letter from a professor you had years ago, especially when they see so many students in such a small window of time.

I know, I know, your school is so large you need to text your professor so he can answer your questions in lecture. Or maybe you’re thinking you just don’t know what to say. Valid excuses, but not good enough to get out of this one.

One way to go about establishing a good relationship with a professor is by checking out their curriculum vitae (most colleges and universities will have this information online); see if he/she has had any articles published recently that interest you and send them an email about it. Ask them if you can meet up during their office hours to talk about it (everyone loves talking about themselves!), or just let them know you’re having trouble deciding what to major in or what to do after college. If you don’t have the time to make it to office hours, try stopping by before or after class.

All in all, just try to make an impression upon them. They will remember you for being a curious and conscientious student, if nothing else. And the better your relationship with a professor, the better you’ll be apt to do in their class! You’ll find that you won’t want to let him or her down by being late or unprepared for lecture — just like you wouldn’t want to let a friend down by showing up late for an event.

Professors are really powerful people to have on your side. Knowing the cute football stud might get you a date for the weekend, but befriending a professor will be worth it years from now when you need a make-or-break recommendation, or a connection to that dream job.

Come back to find out about my next college must-do: Get To Know Your College Town Beyond The Pub Crawl

WTF? What ever happened to an A for effort? Or extra credit? Or taking a bit of pity on the kids you know bust their asses but still just miss the “A”?

I can’t tell you how many times I worked my booty off only to get screwed by a curve or my uncanny ability to freak out before exams…and then bomb them. I would seriously do anything for an “A” somtimes. Anything.

This week I asked the CollegeCandy writers to weigh in and tell me what they’d do for an “A.” Surprisingly, sexual favors weren’t that high on the list. Either we are getting less desperate (because we don’t need to be), or professors are getting really old and unattractive…

Erica – Kent State: Can’t say I’d go as far as sexual favors, but I wouldn’t be too proud to do a little flirting. Hey, why else do they let/force young, attractive TA’s teach classes?

Kathryn S.: Go to office hours for extra help. Ugh. This sounds lame, but you don’t even know how much I hate office hours.

Kari – FSU: I would recite the starting line up of the Miami Dolphins, in song form, for my sports fanatic prof in front of a 300 person lecture. And I have (he later confessed that he couldn’t give me any actual extra credit).

Olua: Depends just how badly I need it. Let’s just say, though, that academic integrity and I don’t have the strongest of histories.

John – UConn: I’d do anything for an A, and I by that I mean I’d play any Rock Band song for an A, even that one by Jimmy Eat World.

S.E. – Fordham: Depends on how I’m doing in class. If I’m close to failing, I’m sure I could work

out some “extra credit” with the prof.

Heather – Penn State: Spend hours researching the best (and easiest) classes and professors to take…I leave nothing up to chance.

Lauren – University of Michigan: I once gave up my weekends and evenings for a month to study with a private tutor. I got the A, but I’m still not sure it was worth it.

Elise – UCLA: Have a wild night with lots of diet coke and Sugar Free Red Bull

Carly – Grinnell: Umm… work hard? Call me boring, but I don’t want an A unless I’ve really earned it.

Suzanne – Tulane: Bribery: gifts, baked goods, babysitting the prof’s kids. If it works in politics, why not school?

Elizabeth – UA Huntsville: Well, I wouldn’t sleep with any of my professors–none of them are all that attractive and a lot of them are married. But if I could somehow get an A by throwing somebody else and their ridiculous opinion under the bus then yeah, I’d do that.

Noa – CU Boulder: I’d actually buy the books for the class.

Sarabeth – University of Texas: Can’t say I know my limits as to what I wouldn’t do, but I have built a rollercoaster for extra credit for a physics class before.

Alex – Cornell: CHEAT

Kelly – UMass: I’d just work hard