<p>So, I'm an incoming freshmen and I'm wondering if I can get some help on preparing to enter college, and do optimize my capabilities. It's summer now, and I want to know if theres anything I can do? I'll be trying to read books and the newspaper daily .</p>
<p>But aside from that.. What should I be expecting? What do I have to do to get an A+ in a class? Sit in front of the classroom all the time? Raise my hand? (obviously study and work well). What helps you get the A+?</p>
<p>I'm scared. I want to transfer in 2 years and any fault within a class may ruin my chances, so I kind of want things to be near-perfect</p>
<p>I'll start:</p>
<p>The marginal benefit of getting an A+ (when compared to an A or even A-) is much much less than the marginal cost (in terms of time and work). You don't need to spend all your time studying trying to get those extra few percentage points. Go out and join some clubs, get to know people, and network. It'll be worth a lot more for your post-collegiate life (plus, it will probably be more fun).</p>
<p>You don't need a 4.0 to transfer, even at places with excruciatingly low transfer rates. It's probably more to your advantage to show the adcoms that you're a person, not a robot.</p>
<p>What do I have to do to get an A+ in a class? Sit in front of the classroom all the time? Raise my hand? (obviously study and work well). What helps you get the A+? </p>
<p>If a class requires participation as part of the grade, make sure you are always prepared for class and speak up in class. Don't miss class either - it helps a lot to go every time. Spend a lot of time reading carefully (not just skimming) and it will be very helpful later on.</p>
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The marginal benefit of getting an A+ (when compared to an A or even A-) is much much less than the marginal cost (in terms of time and work). You don't need to spend all your time studying trying to get those extra few percentage points. Go out and join some clubs, get to know people, and network. It'll be worth a lot more for your post-collegiate life (plus, it will probably be more fun).
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<p>I attend a school where there is no plus/minus system. That is, a 90 and a 100 are both a 4.0. My friends often berate me for “studying more than I have to” and emphasize that “no one knows whether you got a 90 or a 100; it doesn’t show on your transcript.”</p>
<p>I agree that unless your school has a plus/minus system, then there’s really no need to shoot for final grade scores in the 97-100 range.</p>
<p>HOWEVER! You should have a “buffer” in all your classes. For example, let’s say you have calculated that you only need to make a 63 on the final to get an A in the class. I recommend that you do not think to yourself, “I just have to exert enough effort to get a 63.” Instead, shoot for something like an 80 or a 90 on the final. That way, you have 17 / 27 points for a “buffer”; you can afford to do worse that you planned and still get an A. By contrast, if you do worse than 63, then you have no buffer and you won’t get that A.</p>
<p>This is what my friends do not understand, even though I have told them my philosophy. Sure, a 90 on the final is “unnecessary” because it produces no different result than a 63; you’ll get an A either way. But, if you only exert enough effort to get a 63, then you have no safety net to account for possible mistakes.</p>