<p>So I'm a freshman in college. I'm taking 5 classes, two of which are kind of challenging: math and government 2.
However much I study and try to understand the lesson, I seem to fail the tests in both classes. It depresses me to the utmost extent and it brings down my drive for success. I HATE not being able to understand something/fail. </p>
<p>Is there anyone out there that has started off kinda rocky but ended up doing well? (I know it's a rhetorical question but it never hurts to ask) I'd love to hear peoples' stories and how they worked towards their goals! Pleeeease.</p>
<p>(By the way I'm an aspiring medical profession student)</p>
<p>Take 4 classes a semester. Don’t overload yourself.</p>
<p>Prepare WELL before the tests. Get ahead. If you don’t understand something before the test…that is why you’re going to fail. You should already understand everything you need to know by the time you get to the test. </p>
<p>You don’t need inspiring stories to motivate you. This is your life and you have to take control over it. </p>
<p>What I do is I make sure I have enough time to spend hours (will turn down plans to hangout or go out to beat my head over a concept for hours) making sure I understand something. Look for other resources online. Look on YouTube. In one of my classes this semester, it makes no sense to do it the way my teacher does using a form of this particular method. I saw online they had a better way of organizing the information and it made me finish the problem faster than other students. Look at other books in the library.</p>
<p>Echo the above - 5 is too many!!! Look for Cal Newport’s blog online or books for study efficiency ideas. ALWAYS go to office hours before tests, and even in between. Consider study groups. Go after a test and talk to the professor - can you help me analyze what I did wrong? I really want to do better next time.</p>
<p>Well, I took Intro to Computer science my freshman year and it was the hardest subject I’ve ever encountered. Read the textbook like a dog and could only understand a few lines. I ended up failing the final and squeaking out a C- but I took it pass/fail so it wouldn’t count too bad against me. Not sure if that helps…actually it probably doesn’t.</p>