Some of the most difficult courses you can take in college are 100-level, survey classes. They appear to be easy courses, usually having the word “introduction” in the title. But more than a few new college students have come to realize that these seemingly easy classes are nothing but easy. When you look at the depth and breadth of information presented and the expectation to learn not only hundreds of new terms and concepts, but being able to write coherent essays that show your in-depth understanding of how these concepts work together; it’s no wonder that many students perform poorly in these types of courses.

Step 1: Read the textbook

This first step seems like common sense, but you’d be surprised how many students never bother to read the book, or only read section headings or, worse yet, only read the chapter summary. In order to really do well in a survey course, it is imperative to read the textbook. Furthermore, not only will you need to read the book, you should read the material prior to the professor’s lecture. Let the lecture be the review of the material, not the first time you’re exposed to it. At a very minimum, you should at least be reading the chapters during the weeks they are being covered in class. Saving several chapters to read until right before an exam is a certain way to bomb a test.

Step 2: Memorize definitions

Some of the work of a survey course is learning the definition of unfamiliar terms. This will require time to commit them to memory. One way to do this is to make up flashcards for each word or term, writing the word on one side and the definition on the reverse. Review the cards daily until each is learned. 

Step 3: Aim for understanding

Rote memorization will get you through the definition of terms, but you’ll need to take your studies another step further. You need to understand the material so that you can explain how systems work, how what you’re learning in one chapter connects to the other chapters and the implications of each area you’re learning about. 

Step 4: Ask questions

When something is unclear or you’re having trouble making sense of concepts, do not hesitate to contact your professor during office hours, ask a question during lecture or meet with your teaching assistant to get some clarification. There are many different learning styles and sometimes the methods of explaining difficult concepts in a textbook may not be clear to all. Professors and graduate students can often explain these concepts for you in a variety of ways to help make sense of the material for you. Additionally, if your instructors see that you are taking an interest in learning the subject, they will take an interest in you and go out of their way to help you succeed. You’ll still have to work hard, but sometimes having other’s cheering you on makes a huge difference. 

Step 5: Pace your studies

You most likely know at the beginning of the semester when your exams will be scheduled. If you keep up with the reading and learning terms weekly, you should not need to stay up all night to prepare for an exam.

These tips are the tried and true method for doing well in a college survey course. You do have to spend the time required reading the material and memorizing terms and concepts, but if you don’t save the hard work until the last minute, you can ace the exam and earn a great grade in the course. 

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Anne Mathews is pursuing a graduate degree full-time and teaches part-time at a major U.S. university. If you are interested in writing professionally for this site and others, Ms. Mathews would appreciate the referral bonus: http://www.triond.com/rw/39827.