How to Fail a Class: 2 Common Mistakes to Avoid

It's common to hear instructors talk about what leads to success in your studies, but they rarely discuss what leads to failure. Like success, failure is important to analyze so we know what to be careful about. Call it the know thy enemy principle.

Here are what I believe to be two of the most common reasons people fail a class (in no particular order).

Bad study habits

This site isn't called study-habits.com for nothing. Your habits say a lot about you. Do you really put time and effort into your studies, or do you wait for the information to come to you by itself?

The good student makes themselves study! And don't be afraid to ask questions when you're unsure. As a Chinese saying puts it:

"Asking and being thought ignorant is better than not asking and remaining ignorant."

Not being organized

This is closely related to study habits, but a little different. You can read more in our guide on how to plan your tasks. While you're at it, be sure to check out our articles on note-taking.