For many students, high school coursework was less than strenuous, requiring a minimal amount of time spent on homework in order to achieve an "A."

Undergraduate coursework is different. First, you must realize that the level of competition has increased; thus your strategy for preparation for and performance in the classroom must change accordingly. Second, you must realize that your goal of attending graduate school makes earning "A"s more imperative for you than it might be for a student who does not seek a career in academia. Remember, college is not high school, and what came easy to you before may not come easy now. Also, remember that your goal is a 4.0, nothing less.

On your first day of class, the professor usually distributes a syllabus. The syllabus outlines the purpose and goals of the course, the professor’s expectations of students, the texts that must be purchased for the course, a week-by-week schedule of class activities, the dates on which readings and written assignments are due, the manner in which grades for the course will be calculated, and the professor’s contact information. Read the syllabus carefully and familiarize yourself with relevant deadlines and the manner in which your final grade will be calculated. You should buy a planner so that you can keep track of the deadlines and professor contact information for all courses.