Studying for a test is one of the most arduous and time-consuming parts of college. Study guides are often given to students as a tool to help alleviate this stress. Not every professor hands them out, but they should Study guides don’t need to be compulsory, but they should be prioritized depending on the difficulty of the class and the importance of the test.

If the class material is extensive and detail oriented, a study guide makes sense. Of course, students should keep up with the class material. Anything covered can be on the test. But professors should still hand out a guide with the most important topics for the test or pages from the textbook with need-to-know information. This will go a long way in helping students prepare for a test.

College students are responsible for their own learning. But many students are juggling several responsibilities along with passing their classes. Professors should be aware of this and exercise some empathy. It’s unrealistic to expect students to learn every inch of multiple textbooks, in addition to topics a professor might put on the test that aren’t in the textbook.

In a perfect world, students would have all the time in the world to memorize every last word of the assigned readings. Expanding one’s mind is something that should be a priority for college students. But the importance of our grades can’t be denied.

The fact is if college students don’t keep their grades up to a certain level, they won’t be college students for long. Academic probation can come into play. There must be a balance between learning as much as possible and still making the class passable.   

Study guides might seem like an unfair advantage for students who weren’t pulling their weight in the class over the course of the semester. But students who have fully participated in a class shouldn’t be punished for the sake of teaching those few bad apples a lesson.

Being fully engaged in college is a large part of what prepares students to be competent in the working world. It’s also very important for College of DuPage students to work hard in their classes. Many COD students plan on transferring to four-year colleges and universities and will need to have impressive transfer applications. The students who are slacking off now will find that their actions will catch up to them.

College is challenging enough. Taking the time to let students know the main topics for a test is something every professor can do. A study guide could be hugely beneficial to so many students. It could be the difference between an A or a B, which could be the determining factor for so much more.