As you may have discovered along the way, community colleges do not require SAT testing as a condition of gaining admission.
For many students that simply don't feel prepared to take these difficult standardized tests, this could provide a great alternative that eventually leads to a 4-year university.
But don't fool yourself, you're going to have to excel during your tenure in community college classes if you want to get into your school of choice without SATs to fall back on.
This means acing all your classes, and that starts with showing up, turning in your homework, and doing well on exams. So here are just a few tips to help ensure that you're prepared for each and every test.
5 Tips For All Community College Classes
Show up, take notes. The first and best way to prepare for any exam is to show up for your classes and take copious notes. It is said that something written is something remembered, so put it to the test (literally) by taking great notes in preparation. In addition, think about snagging a seat at the front of the class. This will benefit you in several ways. First, you'll never have to worry about hearing the lecture or being able to read the notes on the board, both necessary if you want to take the best notes. In addition, people in the front row often have more opportunity to participate and ask questions, which can help you to engage (so that you retain more information) and better understand lessons. Of course, it also puts you on the teacher's radar, which may prompt you to perform better, as well as endear you to your professor (never a bad thing).
Work ahead. With a syllabus in hand, tests should never catch you unawares. While it's probably good enough to do your homework as scheduled, working ahead will give you time to go back and study what you've already learned so that you end up going over information multiple times before each test, giving you the best chance for maximum retention.
Join a study group. There's no doubt that studying alone can be a major bore, so instead of poring over the books all by your lonesome, think about joining study groups for your classes. If there aren't any, simply make a general announcement in class that you'd like to start a study group and that anyone interested should see you after class. Once you've got a few classmates on board you can split tasks (like making note cards and other study guides) so that everyone can do less work for class. Then it's just a matter of setting up study sessions to quiz each other.
Take advantage of campus resources. Most campuses have some kind of learning center where they offer students resources for study and tutoring. But that's not all you'll find on campus. If part of your problem is that you suffer from anxiety when it comes to testing you can also talk to campus counselor, usually available through the student health department. And of course, you can always talk to your professors or their aides if you need additional help. Remember that you are paying for these resources (through both tuition and fees), so you may as well make the most of them.
Hire a tutor. As a last resort you could always shell out money for a private tutor. You should have no trouble finding them on campus thanks to fliers and referrals (from classmates, teachers, and even the administration office). But you might also check out online tutoring reviews to find a professional service in your area rather than opting for a student or teacher. There are many choices for tutoring, and if you're going to pay anyway you might as well have the best.
To learn about getting a 4.0 in community college, click here.
