How to Come Away with the Most Information from a Lecture – Part B
Many courses in college still consist of good old-fashioned lecture-type lessons. In some cases, students beginning college make a very disturbing realization: they never learned how to properly listen to a lecture. This causes the effectiveness of such lessons to drop. As a student, it is important to develop lecture skills, in order to take away the most possible from a lesson.
Showing up at the lecture is good, but listening and internalizing the information is what it is all about. A student needs to learn how to read the lecturer, receive the offered information, sort it, and understand it.
Listening skills are crucial. It’s not just about getting to the classroom or lecture hall and looking at the teacher as he speaks. Be an active listener. This has a lot to do with the student. It is recommended to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep the night before any important lessons. If any assignments were given, or if any work was to do done earlier, it is best to come prepared. Many lecturers build on previously-stated information or text. Make sure you are up to speed, since there will be no time for it during the class.
If you want to fully understand the lesson, be at the right mindset. Taking notes is a great way to summarize and memorize details. In time, depending on the lecturer, you will be able to read more into what is being said, and also be more sensitive to the speaker’s body language and tone. Making a physical move, such as copying things down, helps the information sink in.
Distractions are everywhere. Friends, phones, thoughts. Make a serious attempt to distance yourself from any possible distractions, and that way your mind will be more open to what is being said in the class.
Listen to the entire lecture, from start to finish. In some cases, it won’t be your cup of tea. You may not like the lesson’s topic, or the speaker’s views or comments. Many freshmen are discouraged by all of the studies unrelated to their choice of major or interests. You will simply have to power through the less interesting courses, in order to reach the very interesting ones. It is part of getting a higher education.
At the end of a lecture, there may be time for Q & A or some type of repetition or summary of the information which was handed down in the lecture. Remember, just be the main part of the lecture is over, it does not mean that the class is finished. Lecturers will sometimes repeat key ideas, which will later appear on tests, etc.
Being an active listener means absorbing and identifying important bits of information. Sometimes, the lecturer will make it easier to wrap your head around the subject matter by providing power point presentation, bullet points, and references.
If it is the more traditional presentation, with no visual means of any kind, your listening will count for a lot more. Noticing patterns in certain people, with regards to the way they speak, will be able to help you in identifying the important elements of the speech.
Jot down any phrases or words that are not clear. Catch up later (or, if absolutely necessary, ask someone nearby) on the meaning of the words and phrases you wrote down during the lecture. If the teacher draws any diagrams or illustrations, be sure to copy them down. One picture can really be worth a thousand words, when it comes to academic studies.
If you pay attention to the class, and make an effort to become an active listener, you will find it easier to care about what it going. Ask questions, raise your voice, and make your presence known. Some teachers care a lot about participation, and it is advised to do so for the sake of your overall grade.
If you work in a proper manner, you will be able to spend a lecturer learning, rather then sitting there passively wondering what you will have for lunch.
No comments yet.