How to Survive a College Class That Is Way Harder Than You Expected

By Ian Donnelly

No matter what school you go to or what you decided to major in, there’s always one college class that turns out to be way tougher than you expected. You may have signed up thinking it would be a walk in the park, but now that course is the most anxiety-inducing part of your week and the biggest threat to your GPA.

If you can’t stop thinking about all the thinking this troublesome class makes you do, try to simmer down and allow uCribs put things in perspective. Passing a hard college course is not impossible, and as long as you take the right approach, you’ll be able to manage any course load without falling into the fetal position. Just take a look at these useful survival tips for passing the hardest college courses.

You Don’t Have to Like It, But You Better Respect It

The key to passing a hard college class is to give it the time and effort it demands. If you treat it like any other course, you’ll be setting yourself up for failure. Coasting through the semester and betting on your all-night cram sessions to get you through mid-terms and finals is not going to cut it for your most challenging classes.

To make it to the other side of a tough class, you are going to have to dedicate additional time in the week to your coursework. It may sound like a lot of effort, but chipping away at demanding material is way better than trying to digest it all right before a major test. Try to start this practice early on in the semester—the sooner you add it to your weekly schedule, the easier it will be to make it a habit.

Try to Stay One Step Ahead

The only thing better than staying on top of your coursework is getting ahead of the syllabus. Reading ahead gives you the luxury of digesting the subject material at your own pace, and if you’re getting bogged down by some complex required reading, you’ll want plenty of time to reread and review anything you’re struggling with. Even if you still feel shaky after a few read-throughs, you will have a better grasp of tough concepts ahead of time and can ask the right questions during lectures.

While going above and beyond to read ahead for a tough class isn’t essential, you absolutely need to complete any and assigned readings before your lectures. This can turn an impossible, torturous, how-is-this-even-legal class into a bearable burden. Even if you don’t fully grasp the reading, your effort will take some stress out of lectures by simply making them a review of tough material, not an introduction to completely new, mind-boggling ideas.

Always, and I Mean Always, Take Notes

To get through a demanding class, you have to take notes. It’s not a friendly suggestion—it’s a cold, hard fact that’s backed up by tons of studies and research. The act of writing something down is vital for retaining information, and you want that brain of yours to hold onto concepts like a young adult desperately holding onto their childhood.

When in doubt, take notes—jot things down while you do your required reading, and especially during lectures. Even if your professor uses PowerPoint slides that you can print off and study later, take notes on any additional explanations they offer. After class, go over your notes and (you guessed it) take more notes, translating difficult concepts into your own, more understandable words.

As long as you keep up with your note taking, you’ll be able to comprehend and articulate the course material, and be prepared for any assignment or exam that will put your knowledge to the test. Plus, all those notes will be great study tools for finals—just make sure you take notes when you’re studying those notes, too. (This is all pretty meta, I know.)

And there you have it—your fundamental survival guide for the toughest college courses. With these steadfast tips as your guide, you can keep your chin up through the semester— and even better, your GPA!

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