Tips for Classroom
In college, like in high school, there are certain things you'll be expected to do inside the classroom, such as treating your professors respectfully and attending class on time. However, there are many expectations you'll face in the classroom at the university that differ from what you may have experienced in high school.
What to Do
- Attend the first day of class and go to every class meeting.
- Have your assignments and the reading completed.
- Sit at the front of the room.
- Arrive early to class.
- Take notes.
Why to Do It
You're the one who'll benefit by learning what's expected of you in a college classroom.
Attend the First Day of Class and Go to Every Class Meeting
In most high school settings, missing the first day of school or a class period here and there would rarely make or break your experience in the class. However, in college, attending every class period starting with 
the first class is vital. Some students might tell you that the first day isn’t important because the professor will spend most of the period reviewing the syllabus. While it's true that the first class usually entails a detailed discussion of the syllabus, this is information you must completely understand in order to do well in the course. Also, many professors will lecture or assign coursework the very first day. If your absent, not only will you have missed vital course information, you'll be behind in the lecture materials. Check out ourlink on why the syllabus is key to academic success for a slew of other reasons you need to attend the first day.
In college, going to class is absolutely essential. Professors will often mark down your grade significantly if you're 
frequently absent, and if you miss more than a certain percentage of the class sessions you will simply fail the course, no matter how well you perform on assignments and exams. The class sessions help to synthesize and augment your readings and group work. Not to mention, you're paying for ten weeks of class sessions so you might as well get your money's worth.
Sit at the Front of the Room
Okay, maybe you heard this in high school as well, but the truth is that people who sit in the front rows earn higher grades. Sitting in the front of the room helps increase the chances that you'll be free from distractions. You'll be able to see the material being presented and hear the professor’s lecture better. You're also more likely to be acknowledged by your professor.
Arrive Early to Class
In high school, you're trained by the bell to show up and leave on time. However, in college, it's up to you to hustle to class and arrive on time. It's always a good idea to arrive a few minutes early. It shows your professor that you take the class seriously and also gives you a better chance of snagging a prime seat in the first few rows.
Take Notes
Back in K-12, note taking wasn't as necessary because teachers were apt to provide handouts or other study aids. In college, this is rare. Thus, you need to take notes on lectures since these are likely to be the only materials you'll have to review for tests, quizzes, exams, and final projects. Most professors only discuss in class the material that is imperative. An important thing to remember is this: If your professor is reviewing a concept or certain aspect of the material during lecture you can be ninety-nine percent sure it'll be on an exam.
Some students ask, “How do I know what is a main point and what isn’t?” One tip is that if a professor says something more than once, you need to write it down in your notes. Bring a highlighter so that when a professor makes a point and says something like, “this is important,” you can highlight that material either in your notes or on the syllabus. If you're having trouble writing your notes fast enough to keep up with the professor’s lecture, consider using a tape recorder to capture the lecture. Recording the lecture allows you to play it back in your own time and pause it when you need more time to write up your notes. IMPORTANT: Always ask the professor’s permission before recording a lecture.
Pay Attention
So this is sort of a no-brainier, but it's probably true that back in high school you weren't as dependent on the lectures in class to succeed. At the university level, paying attention to the lecture session is absolutely key to doing well. When your engaged during class, you're able to make quick judgments about what seems especially important and to immediately respond with questions if you don't understand something that was discussed.
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