Mad-eye Moody's tips for college

This could be the year that everything goes your way. You finally get that 4.0, save a lot of money and kick some serious butt at life. All you need is a little preparation and some friendly words of advice.

Academics are the most important part of college. After all, that is why we are here — hopefully.

A lot of people set themselves up for failure in class and life. The first mistake people make is signing up for the wrong classes. Like Professor Mad-Eye Moody told Harry in The Goblet of Fire, “You need to play to your strengths.”

When you are determining your classes for the semester, it is important to find out who is teaching them and when. A lot of people sign up for unnecessary classes. If math is your weakness, avoid a math-heavy science class like chemistry, and pick something like geology or animal science.

Another common mistake students make is rushing into major-specific classes. Trust me, there is nothing worse than taking three pre-law courses as a freshman only to discover that none of them helped you advance toward your new degree. Until you are certain of your major, avoid taking classes that are not general education requirements. Once you start knocking some of those GERs out of the way and decide on a major, then you can focus on major-specific classes.

Which professor you have also helps determine your level of success. There are several Web sites that tell you exactly what you need to know about each professor. My personal favorite is RateMyProfessors.com.

Knowledge is power. If you tend to miss class, you can find teachers who don’t have mandatory attendance policies. If you like going to class, you can find teachers who give participation points for attendance. It certainly helps to know what to expect before you get to class.

Unless you are good enough to ace the tests without going to lectures, setting yourself up so you can attend class is really important. For lesser mortals who do better when they attend class, I suggest setting up a schedule to make it as easy as possible to get to class. Because I live off campus, I enrolled in classes chosen so that I only have to go to campus three days a week. Also, I’m more of a night owl, so I avoided early classes. You wouldn’t believe how many students think they can make that 7 a.m. class without sleeping through their afternoon courses.

Another mistake students make is buying every single “required” book for a class ahead of time.

During my first semester, I discovered that some professors never use the textbooks.

Also, buying books from the university bookstore is easy, but rarely the cheapest choice. I found many of my books at the libraries. I also recommend browsing Amazon and eBay, where books can often be found for a 10th of the price.
Remember what Mad-Eye Moody said: “Constant vigilance!” A little preparation can go a long way.

Derrick Skaug is a columnist at the Daily Evergreen, serving Washington State in Pullman, Wash.