Sometimes you have to do a little ass kissing to get the grade you want in a class. I hate to admit that, but it is the truth. If a professor doesn’t like you from the start, he or she is going to nitpick at your work until you get a bad grade. You need to suck up enough to prevent that from happening. I’m not saying that you have to be a teacher’s pet to get an A in class, but you should make an effort to connect with the professor if you want to have the best chance of getting a good grade.

Here are some tips to help you suck up to your professor without being too corny or obvious. The right technique can help you get a good grade every time.

Turn in Your Homework Early

I know the concept of turning your homework in early is practically unheard of in the procrastinating world that we live in, but it could help you secure a good grade in class. I am the biggest procrastinator of them all, but I found that professors gave me a bigger break when I turned in my work first because they reviewed my assignments before they figured out how shitty the grading process is. I’m serious! I got to catch them when their minds were fresh and their hearts were forgiving. If you do the same, you will have a much better chance of doing well in your college courses.

Ask Valid Questions

If you present valid questions to the professor, he or she will see that you are paying attention in class. That will go a lot further than you may think. All instructors want to see is that they are making a difference in the lives of others. If you are actually comprehending information enough to question it, your professor is going to respect you for the intellectual that you really are. Don’t ask something that is blatantly outlined in the book or the syllabus, but don’t be afraid to ask something important as well. With the right questions at the right times, you are sure to get on your professor’s good side.

Participate in Class Discussions

I realize that class discussions aren’t very frequent in web-based courses, but they do happen every now and then. Some professors actually require class discussions and grade students based on their participation in them. If you can weave yourself into the discussion process, your professor will have more opportunities to see just how smart you really are. You can use that to your advantage and hopefully milk a good grade out of it. It only takes an extra five or ten minutes to make a few comments on a discussion post, so you don’t need to spend a lot of time trying to make a good impression. You just have to vocalize a little more than you do right now.

Subtle Compliments

If you compliment your professor too much, he or she is going to know that you’re just trying to suck up. If you do this subtly though, you will be able to sweet talk him or her enough to get a good grade. Just send your professor an email saying that you have enjoyed the class thus far and that you appreciate the work he or she does. You don’t have to ramble about the professor being smarter than Stephen Hawking or better looking than Stephen Tyler. You just have to make him or her feel special. If you can do that successfully, your sucking up will work in your favor every time.