College is a big deal in many people’s lives. It’s the first time you’ll be staying away from your parents and no one will be watching you to make sure you get your assignments and projects done and done on time. Additionally, your diet changes and it can be hard to find food sometimes.

So here are 7 things you can do to be successful in college. If you can do these things, you’ll be better than 99% of college students (including me).

#1 Go to Every Class

This is undoubtedly the most important part of college. It seems simple but you would be surprised how many people fail at this and how important it is for success. Besides a grade based on attendance, most professors drop you a letter grade if you miss more than 3 or 4 classes, attending class makes sure you are familiar with the concepts covered in class. It also makes it hard for you to miss assignments because professors almost always announce assignments during the class before they are due.

#2 Take Good Notes

Notes are another simple part of success in college. Taking good notes in class not only reinforces the concept and helps you remember it better later on (this has been proven by science), but it also allows you to go back and study based off of your notes. Notes from other people in the class are nice but they can be incomplete or hard to read and follow. It sounds simple but take good notes in class.

#3 Eat Two Square Meals a Day

Food is an interesting concept in college. On one hand, it is available everywhere. Organizations know that food is the way to a college students’ heart, so they all offer meals as a way to incentivize attendance. On the other hand, the cafeteria food is almost always hated by college students as being tasteless, boring, and never changing. This makes it hard to go to the cafeteria and eat. That is why I say that getting 2 square meals a day so important.

#4 Sleep

Sleep is so important and it’s the first thing to go when stress rises, and assignments pile up. However, it is more important to get several good hours of sleep the night before an exam than to stay up all night cramming. If you plan your classes and assignments several days in advance, you should be able to get 6-7 hours of sleep no problem in college. It will help your studies go better and you’ll be able to pay more attention in class.

#5 Homework Assignments

Homework assignments are important part of college. Professors use them to both teach you and make sure you have learned what they lectured on. Therefore, you should do the homework assignments they assign and go talk to them if you are unable too.

#6 Ask Questions in Class

Asking questions is important because if your thinking it, others are too. If you are confused and do not understand something, you should ask the professor to clarify. Professors want you to succeed so they are more than happy to explain what you missed or do not understand.

#7 Check Your Email and Student Learning Accounts

This is the last way to be successful, but it is definitely not the least important. Many people in college do not check their email or the inbox of the student learning accounts. However, most professors send out announcement or assignment notifications through these mediums so it is extremely helpful to check these accounts daily to make sure you stay on top of notifications.