This is a guest post by Liz Cutten, who helps run FindCollegeCards, a college student blog that helps students learn about everything college.

All college professors are different, but what you’re going to find out is that all of them are human, and many of them are going to be impressed by the same things. I went to college over 6 years, and what I had found out is that most professors will honestly look at the good students in a different way, compared to those that are bad.

Now, I know when you read the title, you’re probably thinking, “I don’t want to be suck up!”, and that’s fine. I’m not writing this to show you how to brown nose, or suck up to your teacher. Instead, this is a way to show self respect to your teacher, and be on their good side, rather than the bad side. Trust me, teachers will grade differently on those who respect them more. They won’t come out and say this, but if you know someone that has taught in the past, or present, they may tell you this when they have drank one too many.

1. Always show up on time
   This is a no-brainer. When your class starts at 8AM, show up at that time. If you show up late, not only are you disrupting the class, you’re ticking everyone off. It’s really not that hard to show up on time. Get on a schedule, and stick with it. With today’s world of technology, you should know about traffic, the weather, and everything else ahead of time that’s going to hold you back.
2. Show up to class
   A professor hates a person that shows up only 50% of the time. The person that always skips is the one that’s going to always ask the dumb questions. Unless you’re sick, don’t skip out. In college, you’re paying for your classes, so there’s no reason on why you should skip out.
3. Turn off all electronics
   Yes, I know we all have iPods, Phones, Laptops, and more. You can bring these to class, but for the love of god, TURN THEM OFF! I don’t know how many times I’ve been in class where I’ve heard the cell phones go off.
4. Be patient
   Your teacher is more than likely willing to help, but what you have to understand is that they can’t help you 24/7. If you have a question at 2:30AM, you can’t just shoot an e-mail, and expect the answer back within a few minutes. Cut your teacher some slack, and don’t harass them. They will more than likely get to your question sooner, or later.
5. Follow directions
   It sounds stupid, but many people can’t even do this. Your teacher is always going to set rules, and have direction for assignments. As long as you follow them, you’re going to be good as gold. You don’t have to be the rebel out there that’s going to break all the rules, because you’re not going to prove anything by doing this.
6. Do your work
   Homework is given out for a reason, and the same goes with your reading assignments. Always make sure that you’re keeping up with the class. If you can’t accomplish this one, you’re going to find that you’re going to slide fast. Trust me, a teacher can always spot someone that doesn’t know what he/she is doing.
7. Be respectful
   Treat your teacher with respect. Raise your hand to answer questions, be polite to your fellow classmates, and ask your questions that don’t relate to anything after class. As long as you show respect toward your professor, he/she will show it back to you.

It never hurts to be respectful to your professor. By impressing them, you’re going to find that you’re going to have an advantage of those that don’t. What does this mean? With some teachers, it may mean nothing, and while with others, it may mean a grade higher, when grading essays, etc.

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