Woody Allen is quoted as saying, "Eighty percent of success is just showing up."  This is true, that simply showing up to class is the greater part of the battle, but few students will achieve success without a significant amount of studying.  These classes are difficult, but not impossible. The PAS Education Network recommends a multi-faceted approach to classes that includes preparation, persistence and professionalism.

Preparation is definitely the biggest component.  Imagine for a moment that you are a football player running onto the field for the first game of the season.  That first game is the culmination of months of hard work, not a last-minute dash to the bench.  A football player would never enter the field without adequate preparation and expect to win and neither should you.  The first step toward success is preparing yourself to succeed. Read through the textbook before you come to class.  This benefits you in many ways.  All the answers to the final exam are in the book, so naturally the more familiar you are with the book, the more likely it is that you will pass!  Also, if you are already familiar with the text you will be able to ask better questions in class, which will help the instructor to better understand your strengths and weaknesses.  

"We are what we repeatedly do.  Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."  Aristotle had a way with words, didn't he?  Persistence is key to success.  For some, a simple glance over a book's pages is enough to commit its contents to memory.  For most of us, learning is a much more laborious task and the process can be quite daunting.  Don't expect to get it all on the first swing.  Read the text before class, we cover it again during class, then after class is over for the day...read it again!  Repetition is a valuable tool.

You may have read the first paragraph above and wondered how in the world "professionalism" made it into the mix, but rest assured it is an important component.  Approaching each day of class as though you would a day in the office can help you put things in the proper perspective.  Show up well rested and on time, ready to work and devoid of distractions.  In other words...FOCUS!  For the duration of the roughly 8 hours you spend in class, your studies should be the most important thing in your world and until your courses are complete your studies should probably remain as one of your top five priorities.  A successful student should not be satisfied with getting by on the least amount of work possible.  A successful student should always reach for at least one step higher than is necessary.