At Iowa State University, the introductory textile science course is a required 4-credit class for all undergraduate students enrolled in the Apparel, Merchandising, and Design Program. Frustrated by a perceived gap between students who easily comprehended course material and those who complained and struggled, the instructor implemented an exploratory survey to better understand possible reasons for this divide. The survey was given to students immediately prior to the final exam. Completion earned the students two extra credit points on their examination grade. Results of this exploratory study yielded several discussion points. Although there was no relationship between time spent studying and exam grade, there were significant positive relationships between exam grade and attendance, and attendance and GPA. This finding supports previous research that attendance is a better indicator of student success in college/university than any other known predictor of academic performance, including high school GPA, SAT scores, study habits, or study skills.