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In most college curricula, you'll need two semesters of science and the corresponding lab courses to satisfy the science requirement. Unless you decide to pursue a science major, that means you'll need to pick an introductory course from the choices your school offers. So how does one go about doing this?

The easiest way to choose is having an interest in one of the choices. For example, I took Biology, Chemistry, and Physics in high school and got decent grades. When I got into college, I picked Physics because it seemed most interesting. College work is much more rigorous than high school, though, and I barely passed both semesters.

If you have no real interest one way or another and you aren't planning to be a scientist, the next best approach is to examine your strengths and weaknesses in other areas. Are you a math genius? Biology, Astronomy, and Geology don't require much math; Physics can be pretty math-intensive, with Chemistry somewhere in the middle. Like animals or gardening? Biology is filled with living things, but you may want to ask if you're squeamish about dissections.

(My friend was going to take Biology until she found out they were dissecting a cat. She switched to Geology, where dissections are done with a hammer.)

Whatever you pick, it's best to stick with a single subject for both semesters. It's kind of like a freezing cold pool -- once you're in up to your waist, you might as well dunk your head.

Hopefully this helps you make your course selection a bit more scientifically.

Some people just intuitively 'get' accounting and finance, while the rest of us have to struggle along with it. (Or, in the case of my roommate, struggle against it.) It took a few semesters, but it finally dawned on me what the key is to putting accounting and finance in their place.

The main difference between accounting and finance is a matter of perspective. Finance looks ahead, while accounting tells us where we have been. (Of course, then there's managerial accounting which looks forward -- I never could tell it apart from finance.) Since I never could steer a car by watching the rearview mirror, I took all the finance and managerial accounting that my business school had and only the financial accounting that they absolutely required.

Perspective also filters down to many of the individual concepts with accounting and finance. Consider, for example, the concept of time value of money. Say you have a loan with a principal amount, interest rate, and number of maturity periods. If you're standing where (when) it's issued, then compound interest tells you what the value will be at maturity. If on the other hand you're sitting at the maturity date, then present value tells you what the original face value of the instrument was when it was issued. (For those of you conversant in algebra, this reflects an inverse relationship between the two.)

You can review the concepts in the study Cramlets(TM) and practice endlessly going backwards and forwards using the bottomless worksheets.

By the way, this insight can also help those of you considering accounting and finance as a major. Are you most comfortable looking forward and figuring out your next moves, or have visions of leading your own company some day? If so, finance shares your forward-thinking approach. If you're more of a 'where have we been' sort of person, on the other hand, maybe accounting will prove more to your liking. (Choosing a major is never easy, either way... but that's a topic for another day.)

I was reading through the daily news relating to education, specifically concerning Algebra. It seems Algebra has become a major hurdle to college students even though it is considered to be developmental math. Students are struggling to understand the basic concepts and arithmetic necessary for the mastery of Algebra.

I am in no way a math major. I struggled some with math in college, mainly with Pre-Calculus. Honestly the first time I took the course I made a "D" by the skin of my teeth. I immediately re-took the course during summer school. It was a five-credit course that met during both summer terms. It was all I did that summer -- I slept, ate, and lived math. I worked problems late into the night, woke up, and went to the study lab and continued to work problems until class started. By the end of the summer I had earned an "A" in the class. The other students thought I was some kind of math genius, but I wasn't. I just worked hard and practiced, and spent the time I knew it needed.

The main cause for failing Algebra is not allotting the appropriate time to digest and understand the concepts. This time requirement varies from student to student; only experience can tell you what your personal requirement is. Compound this with the busy lifestyles students live, and no wonder most students have a problem. Your time can be fragmented with extracurricular activities or even work, leaving little time to practice and understand the concepts. Again, I am not a math guru but I did learn one thing that summer: math requires practice, just like anything else.

So what can you, the struggling student, do to improve your Algebra experience? First, realize that understanding the concepts may take you longer than someone else, and that's OK. Take control by scheduling time to work on your problems -- on your own, with your instructor, and with your friends as needed. Make sure your work is neat and organized; the more you work at becoming consistent in your approach the easier it will become. Don't rush it and, above all, don't panic!

It's this struggle students have that motivated us at College-Cram.com to focus initially on College Algebra. We honestly want to help students to become successful in their academic endeavors. You will find that our Algebra library boasts more than 100 Tab Tutors , Formula Solvers, and other Cramlets that provide complete step-by-step solutions to the problems and also allow you to enter your own numbers. (Hint: this allows you to check your homework.)

I have found that if you communicate with your instructors and show them that your are putting in the effort, they will sometimes give you the benefit of the doubt. Keep a smile on your face and remember you don't have to be a math major to make an "A" in Algebra.

It would be outstanding if you could mix a few chemicals and make a potion that would get you better grades. Unfortunately, those of us not named Harry Potter can't rely on magic -- we need to work at it.

Fortunately, there are some best practices that will help you do better next semester. Make these seven keys your New Year's resolution and you'll have a better report card come springtime.

• Show up -- You'd be amazed at how much credit you can get just for showing up to each class, and how much you can lose for skipping. (I had an 8am class in my freshman year; I lost a full letter grade just because I skipped a few classes and showed up late for the rest.) Showing up tells your instructor that you're at least willing to make some effort in the class, and that counts.
• Listen -- This is 'Part B' of the first key. While you're in the class every day, listen to what's going on. Again, when taking a test, you'd be surprised what you'll recall from some lecture.
• Participate -- Say you have five friends and only two doughnuts left. Assuming you've had your fill, you'll typically give doughnuts to the two friends that you like best, right? Well, it's sort of the same thing with teachers. They generally want to give out good grades and are often willing to give you a break, and letting them know who you are makes that easier. Ask questions in class, volunteer answers, and offer comments. If the teacher knows who you are, chances are you'll get a break when you need one. (Just don't set anything on fire...)
• Pace yourself -- Spend a little time after each class organizing your notes, reading the materials, or otherwise reviewing what was covered in class. (Cramlets™ can definitely help here!) Jot down in the back of your notebook anything covered that you think might make a good essay question. Spend a little time during the semester so you won't need to spend a lot of time at the end.
• Leave some breathing room -- When putting together your course schedule, keep from getting swamped by limiting yourself to only one or two tough courses per semester. Better yet, if you have any that you expect to be killer (like pre-calculus was for me) try to take it by itself during the summer. Face it, you only have so many hours in the day -- you don't want to plan on overloading yourself before you've even attended the first class.
• Be the Boss -- Attending school is like running your own business, so treat it as such. There's always room for socializing and making life-long friends, but once in a while you need to roll up your sleeves a get to work. How well your business performs will be dictated by how seriously you take your courses, so it's your choice -- do you want to be an Apple or an Enron?
• Have Fun -- Two great 1980's teen movies sum this up quite nicely. As Ferris Bueller said, "Life moves too fast. If you don't slow down you might miss it." On the flip side, don't end up like Anthony Michael Hall's character on the Breakfast Club. He contemplated suicide because his 'perfect' grades were threatened by shop class. The bottom line is, work hard but remember to have fun. Your college years may seem tough, but they can be the most enjoyable experience of your lives.

By itself, no trick or technique is going to be a magic bullet. Still, following these seven keys will get you better grades next semester or my name isn't Professor Cram!

Many of you are thanking the "test gods" because you just found out that your final exam is a multiple choice with some true and false, but others are down in the dumps because they are having an essay exam. Don't fret -- Professor Cram is here to help you out.

Most people fear the essay exam because they are required to write about things they may not know, but actually the opposite is true. Essays are an opportunity to speak about what you do know. Most essay exams will have several questions to choose from and if you have been attending and participating in class then there ought to be something in the exam questions that you know a little about. Before we start on writing the essay, though, let's back up a bit and look at how best to prepare for an essay exam.

To properly prepare for a killer essay exam, first review your materials (class notes, textbook, assigned reading) and pick out key ideas, such as areas to compare and contrast or significant events. Take these key ideas and develop outlines for each one, consisting of a thesis statement and at least three to four logical statements that support your thesis statement. Back up each of these statements with supporting evidence. (This may sound like a lot of work but, after all, proper studying is work.) Print these out and use them as a study sheet to review before your test.

Remember, the goal of an essay exam is to find out how well you can communicate your understanding of a particular subject. Many exams are "compare and contrast" varieties, or demand descriptions of certain significant events, but they all want you to take a position and defend it. Success or failure on the test, in turn, depends on how well you defend your statements with supporting evidence.

When the essay questions are passed out during exam time, take time to read through each question and mark the ones you are interested in answering. For each one, write out a quick outline including a thesis statement.

Your whole essay depends on your thesis statement and it should come directly from the question your instructor presented. The opening paragraph should include your thesis, your position, and how you are going to defend your position. It should be a concise version of your outline. Once you have written the first paragraph it is time for the rest to follow.

Take a deep breath and then begin to write your essay according to your outline. It is important to stay focused on defending your thesis statement. Instructors can see right through rambling gibberish. Most instructors already have certain points they will be looking for in your essay, but don't worry -- stick with what you know and can defend.

After you have completed the first draft of your essay, stop and re-read it. Look for fragmented sentences and misspellings, and make your corrections. Add in a few words or statements if you think of more, but remember that a concise well written essay is always better than a lot of ramblings and no support.

The key to writing essay for exams is preparation and a calm attitude. Instructors are not necessarily looking for you to be an expert on the issue but they do want you to present a precise logical answer.

The start of a new semester is upon us, and I am sure many have made the new year's resolutions about studying harder and doing better this semester. As good as our intentions , though, let's be realistic -- studying harder is not usually the problem. It is more of a question of what you study with - class notes. (Don't get me started on the textbook...) A successful semester starts at the beginning with good note taking. I thought it was time to share a little about note taking, then, before it is too late.

Good note taking starts before you ever sit down in your first class. It starts with how you organize your notebooks for your different classes. You don't have to be uptight in your approach to organizing, but you should have a system. Sit down beforehand and label your notebooks (one for each subject) and acquire the appropriate types of paper for the particular subject (i.e., have a supply of graph paper for subjects requiring graphing - pre-calculus, trigonometry, economics, etc.) Make sure you have the appropriate tools for your classes (pencil, ruler, calculator, and others) associated with each notebook. If you can keep them together then you will never be "that guy" always borrowing a pencil or paper in class.

We all have different approaches to note taking due to our differences in how we learn information, but there are some standards that are found throughout all approaches:

1. Date your notes at the top of the page so you can reference back. This will allow you to keep your notes in a chronological timeline and keep you from confusing the order of some information.
2. Give all your notes a heading related to the topic of discussion for the day. This will allow you to quickly find specific topics while studying, saving you from wasting time.
3. Be consistent in how you take notes. Use the same abbreviations throughout and highlighting techniques like underlining vocabulary or definitions. If you are taking math notes make sure you copy down the steps in order. Be consistent.
4. Write down all date changes for assignments in a separate class scheduler or calendar.
5. Always re-type your notes at the end of the day before you take time off for your social life. Re-typing your notes helps to re-inforce the ideas in your brain, as well as keeping them legible for later in the semester. (It always amazed me how I couldn't read my own handwriting or follow my own thoughts just two weeks later.) This will also cut down on the amount of time you will need to review your notes later when preparing for a test.

Make a habit of reviewing your notes before class each week and not waiting until the night before the test. It will allow you to participate more in class, and provide for a better understanding of the course work. I learned later in my college life that if I took good notes and followed the above suggestions that I really didn't need to study as much or as hard.

As both a student and professor, I have seen the variety of ways students have tried to cheat their way through college. Which ones work the best, and which aren't worth your time? Let's take a look below...

Your accounting professor might describe cheating as "unbalanced," while your college algebra teacher might say it "doesn't add up," and your theology instructor might simply say "cheating is wrong, wrong, wrong." I've always defined cheating as "Getting a favorable outcome without expending the same effort everyone else does."

Here are some popular cheating approaches, including the dead-ends and the ones that actually work:

Copying homework - In grade school this was the lowest of low tech; you met with somebody in the schoolyard and physically wrote down their answers on your paper. These days, a ton of websites advertise their vast store of essays and term papers on a variety of topics that they are willing to sell to the unsuspecting student. The reality is that most of these websites have the same materials (are they copying them from each other...?) and that almost all instructors are aware of them. In fact, there are a growing number of "counter-copying" websites that will check your submitted work and let the instructor know if you are guilty of plagiarism.

Verdict: If the favorable outcome you were chasing is getting a failing grade, you could have turned in a blank sheet of paper and saved yourself some money.

Computer hacking - OK, the movie "War Games" was made like 20 years ago, right? These days, college computer networks are big-time systems managed by a host of computer professionals. Security software monitors access to vital parts of the school network, and databases are equipped with password protection and data encryption. Sure, sometimes somebody screws up and a data-encrusted laptop goes missing, but while that could net you some social security numbers it doesn't help you change your grade. This approach was never that realistic back when the movie was made, and even less so now.

Verdict: If your favorable outcome is getting thrown in jail, there are easier ways to accomplish that than hacking into the university computer system.

Cheat notes - This was popular when I went to high school. We'd write definitions... I mean, other kids would write definitions on tiny pieces of paper and sneak them into the class during tests. The trouble was, half the time you couldn't read the tiny handwriting and you'd end up copying it down wrong. The other half of the time the teacher would catch you and you'd flunk the test. Of course, college work is much different than high school - the papers would need to be bigger and the writing even smaller still. I never encountered this one myself in college, but having seen lots of other high school behaviors from some college students I don't doubt there are some who still make the attempt.

Technology can help this one, though. Replace the tiny papers with a PDA or cell phone and you can have legible notes in a small item commonly found in classrooms. Unfortunately, most instructors require that students put these items away during tests, and in those cases tiny papers are much easier to hide than a fist-sized electronic device.

Verdict: The odds are against you here, so if your favorable outcome is a failing grade then go for it.

Well, we've pretty much shot through the traditional cheating methods. So what really works? What are Professor Cram's recommendations for how to succeed in college by cheating? How do college students get a "favorable outcome without expending the same effort everyone else does?" Here you go:

• Take good notes
• Learn to write a killer essay
• Find out how to take a test
• Master the art of the oral presentation
• Follow the seven keys to getting better grades
• Use College-Cram.com to find the best way to study

You'll end up spending far less time and learn a lot more about yourself and the world around you.

Word problems are the bane of many college students. They can be confusing because they give you lots of information and no real guidance on how to go about solving them. Here are some techniques to help you demystify the word problem and go about getting the correct answers.

1. Remember, word problems usually give you more information than you need. Whether the intent is to make sure you know what you're talking about, or whether it's simply a trick to catch you unawares, word problems will almost always include information that has no bearing on the solution. For example, recall the riddle about the Road to St. Ives (as included in the third Die Hard movie):

As I was going to St. Ives,
I met a man with seven wives;
Each wife had seven sacks,
Each sack had seven cats,
Each cat had seven kits.

Kits, cats, sacks, wives,
How many were going to St. Ives?

The answer, of course, is one -- I was going to St. Ives. All the rest of the stuff is unnecessary information designed to throw you off. Don't let this happen to you!

2. Prepare a formula sheet before you read one question. As you go through your notes preparing for a test, or even as you run across new formulas in class, put all those formulas on a sheet for later studying. When you sit down to your test, before looking at any of the questions, first write out as many of these formulas as you can remember. (Use scrap paper if the instructor allows it, or the back flap of your blue book.) You'll remember more of the formulas this way without the pressure of solving the questions.

3. For each question, write out the known values. Go through the problem and write out on your scrap paper (or underline on the test paper) the known values that you can work with. This will later help you to identify which formula to use to solve the problem. Consider the following example word problem:

Your backyard is a rectangle 20 yards wide and 40 yards long. Your puppy can run completely around the perimeter of the yard in 2 minutes. How fast is your puppy running, in miles per hour?

In this example, your knowns would be:

• Rectangle width = 20 yards
• Rectangle length = 40 yards
• Rectangle Perimeter = ?
• Puppy run = 2 minutes

4. Verify what you are looking to solve. A typical reason students get word problems wrong is that they start solving before they understand what the problem wants for an answer. The math could be spot-on, but in the end a math-correct answer that is wrong. Be sure you recognize what the problem is looking for, and include that in your list of known values. In the example above, this would be:

• Solve for Puppy speed in miles/hour

5. Check through your formulas to see which best solves the problem. Looking through your list of known values, try to pick a formula that will solve for the required answer. A dead giveaway, of course, is formula that sets the required answer equal to some math calculation of values you have 'knowns' for. Otherwise, work backwards from your answer -- what do you need to get that value, and then that value, and so on. When all else fails, pick a formula that has all the knowns and unknowns so that you can solve for your unknown. (Again, don't forget Rule #1!)

In the above example, we are looking for puppy speed around the perimeter in miles per hour. The formula for speed is distance/time; we have the time (2 minutes) but not the distance. So what is the formula for the perimeter of a rectangle? Perimeter is 2*(length+width). So that means our speed formula is now:

Speed = (2*(length+width))/time

6. Double check your units of measurement. An especially devious word problem trick is to mix up units on you, such as giving you speed in feet/second and asking for the answer in miles/hour. This is a valuable lesson in the fact that you can't just give a correct answer, you have to give the correct answer to the question that was asked.

In this example, we find the puppy's speed is:

Speed = (2*(40 yards + 20 yards))/2 minutes, or
Speed = (2*60 yards)/2 minutes, or
Speed = 60 yards/minute

This answer is absolutely 100% mathematically correct, but not what the question asked for. If you give this answer, your instructor will mark it wrong! You need to convert yards/minute to miles/hour:

Speed = (60 yards/minute) * (60 minutes/hour) * (1 mile/1760 yards), or
Speed = 2.045 miles/hour

7. Do a sanity check. Check your answer by math and/or common sense. For a math check, use the formula with your answer in it and solve for one of the other variables; your answer is correct if your variable ends up equalling the problem's variable. For common sense, stand back and examine your answer: is it physically possible, or does it make sense? If a problem asks how much of one pie is left, and you got a negative number, that can't be right. Don't let math get in the way of common sense.

These rules will help you navigate your way through the treacherous "word problem waters" and lead you to the safe harbor of better grades.

Just run a Google on how to study and you will find over 700 million entries all boasting theories or techniques for success. Some suggest converting facts into song or chants, some preach a more academic approach to studying, and others offer special programs or treats for a scripted study plan. The common theme is the development of good study habits that are proactive and not reactive. I hope to highlight some basic skills needed for good study habits, and demystify the black cauldron that studying appears to be.

Let me say this up front -- I am not naturally inclined to good study habits. I tend to procrastinate. (In fact, I waited until the last minute to write this article!) Still, even procrastination can be overcome with proper study habits, and improving your study habits are the key to better studying. So, what are the best habits to encourage?

As a foundation, you need to start sooner rather than later. Even as a procrastinator, I found that getting an early start on studying made me more productive. An early start begins with reviewing small chunks of information before each class, rather than waiting until test time. This helps you stay current on what's being covered in class, which allows you to participate in classroom discussion, which in turn lets you interact with the instructor. All of this transforms you from a passive observer into an active participant, which makes the concepts and ideas take root in your memory.

Building on this foundation, we've found these three steps (Learn, Practice, and Review) to be crucial in the studying process. These steps have very specific habits surrounding them for success. Remember we need to develop the habits long-term for success than just for a one-time crunch.

• Learn -- This is the first step in understanding the facts and concepts in your coursework, and it begins with good note-taking. Keep organized notes with consistent markings and structure, to make recall that much easier for you. For more specific ideas on taking notes refer to my article "Notable Notes."

The second aspect of the Learn process is your environment. Your study environment can impact how well you retain and process the ideas and information you have gathered. Seriously, are you in an environment that is conducive to studying? Is your roommate playing X-Box, PS/2, or other distracting behavior? They may be fun to be around, but may be too distracting for you to learn. Find a place free of distraction where you have more control over your environment.

The learn process can also be aided by good resources that help in the explanation of concepts. We have organized the College-Cram library with icons to show which Cramlets™ that are directed at explaining concepts. You will find these with a blue "L" to the left of the title.

• Practice -- Once you understand a concept, you'll need to demonstrate that you can apply it. Practice is crucial for developing this application aspect. In math, you need to work problems repeatedly until you can get it consistently right. College-Cram is full of Bottomless Worksheets specifically designed to give you that unlimited supply of practice problems. We also feature flash cards for practicing your terms and definitions, in non-math subjects. You can identify our Practice Cramlets™ by the green "P" icon.
  
  
• Review -- You have learned the concept and practiced it until you are confident in your ability. Now the test is coming up, so it's time to review the information in a manner similar to that which you'll be tested in. Old quizzes or tests can greatly help here, and they are a valuable source of confidence prior to taking the test. They are also useful for pointing out the areas that you need a little extra practice with. Our collection of quizzes and Smartacus Study Sheets™ can be helpful here. You can identify these with the red "R" icon found in most chapters of College-Cram.com

The specific study habits needed to become a successful student start with getting an early start and maintaining a solid process of Learn, Practice, and Review. Adapt these to your own unique style and you will find that studying becomes easier, with less pressure to cram at the last minute.