How to Make Your Classmates Like You

Congratulations! You've almost made it to Labor Day. Which means that you survived your first couple of weeks in the classroom and have more than likely already experienced the struggles of trying to run with a backpack on (we all knew you'd regret 8:00 am class).

So now that you're all settled in and your dorm room walls reflect your attendance at the campus poster fair, we move to the next item on the "important things" list that I made up just now. How to Make Your Classmates Like You.

Sadly, this can be easier said than done (just me? k.). Your classmates are your lifeline and making friends with the students you share class with can save you. Whether it's a take-home quiz you forgot about until the morning of, or an extra reminder of what reading was due for tomorrow, you shouldn't try to tackle your classes completely alone.

So if you want to be the first person your classmates grab for the call-your-partner group projects or want to be included on the group messages calling for midterm study parties, follow the few simple tips below.

1. Be the person who always has gum.
There's always a cost of doing business. But this one has a great ROI. Whether they seek it out or you offer it up, we all know that no one can dislike the person who always has an extra stick of gum.

2. Keep your syllabus at your fingertips.
Before class begins and the students await the arrival of the always-two-minutes-late professor, a flood of panic may often infect the classroom. "WAIT-- OUR TEST IS TODAY ISN'T IT? OR IS IT THURSDAY? OR IT'S TODAY." But you have your syllabus handy. And you diffuse the situation by informing your colleagues that the test, indeed, is Thursday.

3. Tangent off of #2: Don't be the person that creates panic.
Maybe the whole "Today vs. Thursday" test debate started in your head. Don't vocalize this concern until you can confirm it with your handy syllabus. Quarantine the panic contagion and keep those deadly thoughts to yourself.

4. Carry school supplies.
I'm not telling you to keep a three-hole punch in your bookbag. That's weird. But I can guarantee you that you will encounter a good number of students who take nothing with them to class but a pen. This is your opportunity to be their hero. So throw on your cape (metaphorically-- again, that's weird) and be the one with extra notebook paper, an actual block eraser because math is hard, and save the day.

5. Don't ask questions in the last three minutes of class.
There are of course exceptions to every rule. Is it a simple yes/no question? Then maybe it's okay. Is there a possibility that your question could spark a discussion or, God forbid, more questions? Then save it for after class. If you are responsible for keeping class late and, henceforth, cutting into anyone's nap time, this is not something that you will be able to easily bounce back from.

If you have any other tips that you've learned, then share them below. We can all learn to be a little more well-liked.