At this post-midterm point in the semesters, students generally begin the panicky process of assessing how their grades are measuring up. For many, a disappointing midterm performance impels them to hit the books more earnestly, but sometimes that may not be enough. A nose to the grindstone work ethic often pays off, but a little more strategizing could go a long way.
With four years of college classes behind them, seniors say exerting that extra effort to improve one's standing in a class can be as simple as raising a hand, visiting office hours, and generally making yourself a visible member of the class.
Senior Kenny William, a Mechanical Engineering major, is a big believer in the potency of going to office hours, and asking questions - even if it's just one.
"In this one class sophomore year I only had time to do enough reading to ask one question per class, which I always did," William said. "I also went to office hours a couple times, which was more than just about anyone else. I remember the professor thanked me at the end of the semester for being so active a participant."
Like William, senior Tristan Reed, an International Relations and International Letters and Visual Studies major, says it's definitely worthwhile to introduce yourself to the professor.
"Talking to the professor makes it a lot more personable," Reed said. "I mean, they're there to help you, not to sink you."
Students say politicking with professors has other perks, such as making extensions more likely. In the past Reed has met with the professor to gauge his options.
"Once you get the feeling for the professor, you can figure out how best to improve your grade," Reed said. "It's easy enough to get extensions or to arrange to revise or rewrite a paper. Or if there's no chance for that kind of thing, you can always drop the class."
Christian Trentacosta, a senior majoring in Clinical Psychology and English, remembers one particular psychology class where he tried to approach the professor with an innovative idea for extra credit.
"I tried to be as creative as possible. I asked if I could do an experiment on superheroes, psychoanalyzing the likes of Superman and Spiderman," Trentacosta said. "Unfortunately, that didn't work. The professor said it wouldn't have been fair to the rest of the class, and it was too late in the semester for extra credit."
Undaunted, Trentacosta stuck with the class and improved his grade by doing well on the final.
"Talking with the professor definitely helped, as well as talking in class," he said.
Going the extra mile is more than politicking for a better grade, Trentacosta said.
More active involvement helped to better familiarize him with class material and prepare him for the final. As to any regrets he may harbor over his aborted superhero psychoanalysis, Trentacosta said that "the thing about extra credit work is, if you couldn't do the original work or couldn't do it well, how are you going to do something extra?"
Nonetheless, professors can often prove sympathetic or at least understanding when it comes to deadlines, and many students find it worthwhile to seek extensions when necessary.
Senior Alan Becker, a double major in German and Environmental Studies, said that while deadlines are not to be taken lightly, he has been fortunate on several occasions in dealing with professors on due dates.
"This one class freshman year, one of those big, introductory classes, I kind of didn't start the final paper until the Saturday morning I was supposed to go home for semester break," Becker said. "It had been due a couple weeks before, and I didn't even get the chance to turn it in myself; I had to catch a plane, so I had one of my friends hand it in, but even then I still at least passed."
