GETTING THE MOST OUT OF LECTURES

It is possible for some of us to pass some courses without attending a single lecture. But I have never heard of a single student whose grade went down because they went to every lecture. You wouldn’t be reading this blog if you weren’t interested in gaining a good grade-to-effort ratio, so let’s assume you have attending lectures on your scheduler.

Motivation

Let’s start with the obvious. To get the most from lectures, you have to attend, and let’s face it, motivation isn’t always high to get up on a cold morning after a late night studying or socializing to attend a lecture that may be delivered by a disorganized instructor on a subject you’re not interested in.

What is the payback ratio under that dreary scenario? Profs drop hints about what’s required on assignments and on what to expect on exams. Even if you have read the text, hearing the points again helps retention. Sometimes they cover skills or topics that may be challenging for you. Some classes give participation points. And you have a chance to connect with other students for note-sharing. On those tough-to-get-going days, endorse for just your effort.

At the other end of the motivation spectrum are those classes from a star instructor in a course you enjoy. Regardless of where a class is on your list of preferred classes, there are key approaches for optimizing both your enjoyment and your grade in any course.

Preparation

Most important is preparation: Do the prep.

• Read the assigned readings before going to class. You will understand and remember and find your exam revision more effective.
• In STEM courses, work through the problems before class–you will then know the ones you need to address either with the instructor or with classmates.
• If there are collaboration tools that will be used, make sure your hardware has them installed and practice using them before class if they are available outside class.

On arrival

Get there 5 minutes early if you can. In any event, sit near the front. This helps your brain more thoroughly engage with the presenter, as you are not distracted by the multitude of classmates and clatter.

Engage

Be prepared with questions from your reading.. Take part in break-out groups. Be open to exploring areas where you don’t have all of the answers and aren’t the expert.

Learn the style of the instructor, and how they structure their presentations (yes, some don’t!). This will help in later classes for taking lecture notes.

Take notes

Here your choice is to use an app, to keyboard, or to handwrite your notes. Research has shown that students who handwrite their notes do better on examinations, as retention is somehow enhanced by the handwriting process. Some apps let you handwrite (Microsoft Notes, for example) and draw arrows, diagrams–difficult to do on a keyboard.

Do what works for you. If you are handwriting, have a column to the left for starring important points, adding reminders, or jotting questions. Cornell https://medium.goodnotes.com/study-with-ease-the-best-way-to-take-notes-2749a3e8297b notes work well for many students. Others have mentioned that the system doesn’t work if the pace of lecture is rapid. 

Familiarize yourself with your method of choice before class, and be prepared to adapt or completely switch methods if what you have trialled doesn’t do the job for you.

CAUTION: RECORDING LECTURES CAN BRING A TRAP

Some courses let you record lectures. If this is an accommodation, you will know how to incorporate recordings into your study program. If you are just doing this for your convenience however, relying on recording can be a trap.

First, you may be less focussed because you think you can always catch up later, so your notes are less complete.

Second, you may put listening to the recorded lecture into your good intentions file.

Third, if you do listen to the recording after class, you have doubled the time you are spending on the lecture material, which is not the most efficient or effective way to learn the material.

Fourth, you may think that having a friend record the class or accessing the video later means you don’t need to attend the lecture.

The overall risk is that you have sketchy notes and the last week in March you have five to thirteen hours of recordings you’ve been meaning to look at . . . Don’t do this.

After class

Later the same day, review your notes. Fill in points you didn’t have time to complete. Schedule any reminders that need entering.

Collaborate

One of the advantages of attending class is connecting with classmates. If you have a study buddy or study group, sharing notes can benefit all of you. Here collaborative tools, such as a whiteboard where you all put up your notes, can be useful. Even just circulating your notes amongst yourselves means you all have more complete notes. The process of sharing has the added advantage of providing a strong review of the material.

Review

I’ve already mentioned reviewing each lecture the same day. Incorporate your review of your notes with your review of other course materials for overall weekly review, or oftener in the case of material that is complex or requires a lot of detailed memory work (e.g., anatomy, formulae, dates, etc.). 

Schedule

The review is most likely to happen if you pencil it into your scheduler. As the term goes by, you will know how to adjust your review schedule to fit the differing needs of each course as well as the rest of your life.  

Summary

It comes down to the basics:

Do the reading. Go to class. Engage. Take notes. Collaborate. Review.

The more often you do the basics, the higher your grade.

And remember, you don’t have to be perfect.

Don’t beat yourself up if you do not attend 100 per cent of all classes, don’t always prep completely, don’t engage fully in every class, take less than perfect notes, and don’t review every single night and every weekend.

Schedule realistically, and endorse yourself for every effort you make on the basics. Small reinforcers are more effective than self-nagging.

Then you can do this!

If you are interested in discussing how coaching over the rough spots and gaining skills to fill in for soft sports can work for you, connect with me in the form below or directly through email: [email protected] 

The information in this blog cannot take the place of support from your own mental health professional or community health resources. Reach out to them. And IF YOU ARE IN CRISIS PLEASE DIAL 911.