We wanted to know the keys to getting good grades and staying in school, so we asked faculty and staff members at New River Community College, Radford University, and Virginia Tech for their best advice to students.

1. College is a part of your life, just like your family, your job, and your social life. All are important, so make sure you have the time, energy, and commitment to succeed in school before you sign up for classes. A college education is an individual commitment. No one but you can take responsibility for your decisions. You pay for the classes you take. You gain what benefits you obtain through your own efforts. Make sure you are ready to get the most for the money and efforts you expend—we’ll help all we can, but in the end it’s all up to you.

2. If you have a new job, you probably won’t know everything you need to know to be successful on the first day. It’s the same with college. Get involved … ask questions … join in with the class to not only learn, but understand what we are studying. We’re all in this together. The professor is your guide: You are taking the journey; so get involved and enjoy the trip.

3. Remember: College is like a job. You don’t get “paid” if you don’t show up! Go to every class.

4. Talk to your advisor. Your advisor will do his/her best to make sure you get the right classes to achieve your goals. Don’t waste your time and money taking classes that don’t count toward your degree requirements. If you self-advise, or take the advice of friends or acquaintances that are not familiar with your program requirements, you may end up taking the wrong classes and lengthening the number of semesters you have to spend to get your degree. Take advantage of office hours, phone, or e-mail communication.

5. Come to class every day prepared to participate. Make sure you have finished all assigned readings and homework assignments. Don’t be afraid to participate. The class will be more interesting and memorable if you are an active participant rather than just a bored and unprepared observer.

6. Come to class every day with a positive attitude and much curiosity. It’s up to your instructors to at least try to make your classes interesting, but your own attitude, curiosity, and participation can go a long way in making every class better.

7. When there, take your learning and growth (and ignorance, you are surprisingly unembarrassed about your own ignorance) seriously, as matters nearly or more important than athletics or the social scene.

8, Buy your books by the first day of class. Get a jump on the semester by being prepared.

9. Form a network of study buddies for each class. If you do have to be absent for a class, it will be good to check in with a fellow student to see what you may have missed. Likewise, studying with a friend or two often makes the task more pleasurable.

10. Make a plan B for transportation in case of car trouble.

11. Don’t overload yourself with courses, especially if you are employed. It’s easy to let life overwhelm you, so strive for a balance in your life between school, family, work, and fun.

12. Find out about and use the many college services for students. Sometimes this takes a bit of investigative work to find all of the services available, but you’ll be surprised at how many things exist that can help you be a successful student.

13. Outside of class, converse with your instructor during office hours, at least once. Generally, you will find it beneficial to have good communication with your instructors.

14. Outside of class II: Find ways of having fun and relieving stress that are healthy and not destructive. Go fishing, kayaking, biking, or hiking—explore and learn to appreciate the beautiful New River Valley.

15. Savor your life. Ask many adults and they’ll tell you their college years were the best years of their lives. But for that to happen, you have to make smart decisions, be reasonably responsible, and show some maturity. Your years in college can be great if you just savor the experience, soak up the knowledge, and stay out of trouble.

Theresa Burriss, Sandra Daniels, Dennis DuBuc, and Rick Van Noy contributed to this helpful list–so if you’re taking a class from them it may be helpful to subtly drop this article into conversation.