You’ve arrived at the University of Illinois, a university with over 40,000 students. You’ve stocked your (mini) fridge, moved in and now you’re preparing yourself for your first day of classes. Sometimes, smaller classes can be even more intimidating than larger lectures.

Here are some tips for success in smaller classes:

Do ask questions, a lot of them

Ask as many questions as you want. College at a large university might be a new experience for you. Even if you can feel the person behind you giving you a mean mug or rolling their eyes, ask it anyway. Small classes provide great opportunities to really engage with the material and your professor. Be on top of your game, and push any insecurity about that mean mugger aside. You came to college to learn, right?

Do sit close to the front

This might seem like an attempt to be the teacher’s pet, but even in small classes it can be difficult to hear the professor or see everything on the board or presentation screen. If you want to do well, sit close to the front. Before you know it, people will be coming up to you after class and asking to see your notes.

Do arrive early

This will help with my second tip, and unless we’re talking about an 8 a.m. or 9 a.m. class, arriving early shouldn’t be too hard. It’s a great habit to get into so you can catch the professor for that one quick question before class.

Do make friends

In small classes, it’s easy to sit in the same place every day and see the same people. You’ll be with each other all semester, so why not get friendly? Next time you have a tough homework question, you and your new friend can figure it out together.

Don’t get distracted in class

Don’t Facebook, tweet, tumble, pin, stumble, Reddit, text, do other homework or any other distracting task you can think of. It’s tempting, I know. But the longer you are distracted on your computer, the more chance you have of your professor noticing that you aren’t paying attention, in smaller classes especially. “Stay off your laptop. Professors can see you, and they will hate you for ignoring them,” said Jess Johnston, junior in LAS.

Don’t assume you know everything

Some classes may feel unimportant to your career. Even though sometimes you might be right, it’s important to listen anyway. Plus, with small classes, networking is easier. The professor could end up being a great connection for you someday.

Don’t skip class

I repeat, do not skip class. In small classes specifically, attendance is often a significant part of your grade. Even if your professor does not record a grade for attendance, he or she will know whether you show up and engage every day. Often times in small classes, there are a select few who faithfully show up for every class by the end of the semester. Be one of those select few that show up. Both you and your GPA will be happy you did.

Janelle is a senior in Media. She can be reached at [email protected].