A lot of college, like life, is just following directions.

From kindergarten to college to career (and, sadly perhaps, for husbands), a good deal to achieving success is simply following directions. In college, students seem to constantly be trying to figure out "what the professor wants" on assignments, exams, etc. It's quite simple; here's how we grade:

A: The professor did not hate evaluating the item*
B: You have made an intelligible point- almost any intelligible point will do
C: You have followed directions
D: You have failed to follow directions
F: You are speaking in tongues

*This is purposely nebulous, as in our age of grade inflation (a subject for another blog, perhaps), there is tremendous variation in the standards for and frequency of "A" grades. For example, for an education major (again, for another blog), all that's needed to achieve an "A" is a pulse and a pen (and the pulse isn't critical).

The message here is that to do well in college, just do what the professor tells you to do. The directions are not difficult to locate. They are in syllabi, at the tops of exams, verbalized in class and online, etc. Just read, listen, and if you're not sure, ask. And be sure to ask in the proper manner, that is, follow the directions.