By Tracey Rector, Alumna of IUPUI

Before I started college, I really wish I would’ve understood the importance of dropping a class you’re struggling with as opposed to taking a bad grade. Also adding to that, the importance of taking a tough class during the summer so it’s the only class you are focusing on.

I struggled with math. So while I was making A’s and B’s in my other classes, having lower math grades kept my GPA down and it took me a while to bring it back up.

I took my last math class during a summer session — and go figure, I got a decent grade.

Secondly, I didn’t look into and take advantage of some of the resources my college had to offer me until toward the end.

They had a great math assistance center that I took advantage of for my last math class. It definitely helped me get a decent grade and had I used it sooner, may not have struggled as much. 

The campus also had a shuttle service I knew about but never wanted to use. When I started using it, it cut down on my travel time so I wasn’t rushing to get from one end of campus to another. It can be really hard to reach the opposite side of campus in 15 minutes!

Thirdly, there was a tunnel that practically got me from one end of campus to the other without going outside! I didn’t realize this until my very last semester. It sounds like I was being lazy, but on the rainy or snowy days, it helped me get from point A to point B much much quicker and I wasn’t soaked by the time I got to class.

So to sum it up, look into what your college has to offer you — both academically and just to make your life easier.

This week you'll be hearing from all of our University Chic bloggers, who go to schools from all around the country, on what they want you to know as you finish your collegiate journey. We hope you'll tune in and read what they have to say! If you'd like to submit your own piece of advice, tweet @UniversityChic and we'll RT your thoughts.

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