<p>I'm a freshman in college and my finals begin next week. I've attended all my classes and taken good notes, and of course, as most other CCers, I come with great high school study habits. However, I'm a little scared, paranoid, etc. about not doing well.</p>
<p>Mostly because I have (hence my username) law school aspirations. This makes me really self-conscious about having a 3.8 instead of a 4.0 once school the semester is over, etc. I know it's silly, but I'm new to this and hoping for tips and reassurances that all will be well and that getting a B is okay. :)</p>
<p>I'm a Philosophy major and double minor of History and Poli Sci, in case that makes any difference. Most of my general ed was validated through AP credits at my LAC, so I'm actually in a few upper level class which I supposed has fueled my paranoia (since most of my classmates are already taking their LSAT).</p>
<p>Getting a B is okay. Getting a lot of B’s isn’t going to help you. Getting a high LSAT score can make a huge difference, though, so remember grades aren’t necessarily everything. You do need to do really well, but there’s no sense freaking yourself out yet. It’s too early in the game for you to start giving yourself ulcers. :P</p>
<p>Best advice is to not cram into the wee hours of the morning. You’ll be sleep-deprived for your exam, you won’t remember half the things you studied, and you’ll do badly.</p>
<p>You’re worried about a 3.8 rather than a 4.0? GET A LIFE!</p>
<p>Also, you should worry more about the LSAT. If you get a bad score on that, then you can forget top law schools.</p>
<p>Anyway, to get to the real topic of this thread…</p>
<p>Here are some tips:</p>
<ol>
<li>Start studying now. Study both the subject that you have first, and the subject that you have the hardest time with.</li>
<li>Take frequent study breaks.</li>
<li>RELAX and focus on that you’ll do your best.</li>
</ol>
<p>Well truthfully, this is only your first term of college. As long as you do okay, as in get A’s and B’s, grad schools won’t hold anything against you. Definitely do better in your major classes than GEs if you can.</p>
<p>It is often the case that you will not get the 4.0 or whatever GPA you had aspirations for during the semester but it is really no big deal. In time, this would especially be true if you were a science major, you will realize that semesters just won’t work out the way you want them to. The nice thing though is that you will also realize that in the long run it does not matter either.</p>
<p>A 3.80 and a 170+ is getting into Columbia well before a 4.0 165. Just saying…</p>
<ol>
<li> Get a good nights sleep every night.</li>
<li> Eat regular, reasonably healthy meals.</li>
<li> Take an exercise break several times during each day – great for clearing the mind.</li>
<li> Getting a B is OK. :)</li>
</ol>
)</p>