While some maxed-out semesters might be unavoidable, you'll be much happier—and less stressed —if you can keep your course load in the light-to-medium range (around 15 hours per semester). You'll also learn more, since you'll be able to spend a decent amount of time with each subject you're studying. And learning more usually means better grades.

How can you keep your schedule manageable and still graduate on time? Explore your options. Maybe you can "test out" of some basic classes with competency exams or CLEP (College-Level Examination Program) tests. Maybe you can take some courses over the summer or during breaks. Or maybe your summer job can count toward internship credit.

One rookie mistake you'll definitely want to avoid is overlooking "hidden" course requirements. The big offenders are labs. A lab science class might only register as four credit hours, but you'll be required to spend two to three hours per week doing experiments, plus whatever time you need to prepare your lab report. If at all possible, take only one lab class per semester.

What does a smart plan look like? Freshman semesters should be heavy on core (or "gen-ed") classes. If you're leaning toward a certain major, mix in one or two classes from that area, too. A schedule like this allows you to investigate several different subjects—any of which might become your major, since most students change their major at least once. And no matter what your major turns out to be, those core classes will count toward your graduation requirements.

When scheduling deadlines roll around your sophomore and junior years, spend some quality time with your academic adviser. Plan out your remaining years on campus as accurately as possible. Be extra careful about courses that are only offered on alternating years or must be taken in sequence.

As you become more familiar with your campus, try to take classes from profs who have been recommended by upperclassmen. Once you find a prof you really like, take two or three classes from him or her. You'll take some of the guesswork out of scheduling, and you'll also have an opportunity to build a relationship with this person. When it comes time to collect references for a job or graduate school, you'll know who to ask.

Does this mean homework is optional? Not really. When a professor types up a syllabus, every reading assignment, every list of problems, every journal suggestion is on there for a reason. Every class session is important, too, even though profs rarely take attendance. These things give you a chance to participate in discussion, prepare you for the final, and make sure you actually learn something in class. Also, spreading the work out over a semester will save you from a finals week meltdown.

Besides encouraging you not to fall behind, syllabi have the amazing power to help you work ahead. Not too many students do this, but those who do find that life becomes a whole lot easier. For example, let's say you've signed up for a European literature class. You know you'll have to read War and Peace by week 12. Just because the book doesn't appear on the syllabus until week 10 doesn't mean you'll want to start reading it then. It's a long book. Start early.

These classroom superstars aren't all geniuses. What they probably have in common is a willingness to speak up, especially after class. For them, learning never stops.

So what after-class opportunities are out there? Lots! Most professors have office hours during which students can make appointments to discuss assignments, a topic they don't understand or whatever's on their mind.

One way many schools, particularly big ones, are using new technology is to set up e-mail discussion lists for various classes. So even if you can't connect with the prof during office hours, you might be able to join a lively discussion online.

Talking with other students from your class can also be a huge help. You can chat over coffee, work on homework together (unless your prof specifically forbids it), study for exams or read each other's papers before handing them in.

News flash! Your college G.P.A. isn't quite so important. That doesn't mean you can slide by with a .01—there are things like academic probation and losing scholarships to worry about. Also, grad school-bound students will need to prove themselves to admissions folks once again. But by and large, the difference between an A, a B and a high C is pretty minor.

So what does this mean? Take challenging classes. Don't sacrifice a learning opportunity for the sake of a grade point. If you can't do "A" work in every class you're taking, decide which ones to focus on and relax a little on the others. Don't hyperventilate at the sight of a grade you never got in high school.

Not so fast. College courses aren't like sticks of gum you chew for a while and then spit out. Courses build on each other, which is why you have to take Geology 101 before Geology 435.

So how can you keep completed classes in mind? First of all, unless you're totally strapped for cash, don't sell textbooks from courses in your major. If some gen-ed books were particularly helpful as references, you might want to hang on to those as well.

Next, keep all your assignments and papers on floppy disks. Electronic files take up a lot less space than paper copies and can be retrieved any time you want to rework an old assignment for a different class (as long as your prof is OK with recycled work).

If your class notes are a hopeless jumble that you'll never read again, don't clutter your room with them. But if your writing is legible and your words make sense, these notebooks will be your best review resource when you take another class in the same subject or prepare for graduate exams.

These tips might sound like a lot of extra work. But it's absolutely true that the more effort you put into your classes, the more you'll get out of them. Getting an education is a student's job and calling. And as it says in Colossians 3:23: "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men."

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