Lectures and Preparing for Class
Lectures are one of the first things that come to mind when thinking about college. It’s often conceptualized as sitting in a room with peers and learning from an expert. However, I recommend that we shift this mentality. I suggest coming to class prepared—you can do this by getting ahead in the assigned reading, studying slides from the course, researching the course’s subject online, going to the library to read even more about your course’s topics, having questions to ask, and analyzing the content and conclusions made by professors and textbooks.
Preparing for the course in this manner will help develop independence of thought and critical thinking skills. You will be developing skills that can be applied anywhere in your life, while also better understanding the course material.
One insightful professor put it this way: “It’s not what you learn that is important, but what you discover that is important. Lectures should be thought of as a place to explore a topic and work toward its core principles and application to daily life.
A few things to bring with you to your courses are:
Preparing for the course in this manner will help develop independence of thought and critical thinking skills. You will be developing skills that can be applied anywhere in your life, while also better understanding the course material.
One insightful professor put it this way: “It’s not what you learn that is important, but what you discover that is important. Lectures should be thought of as a place to explore a topic and work toward its core principles and application to daily life.
A few things to bring with you to your courses are:
- An open mind
- Course syllabus
- Course text, if possible
- Lecture notes, if available
- A couple of writing tools and paper
- Computer and charger
- Daily/weekly/monthly planner
- Snacks (protein keeps you alert; try to avoid sugar crashes)
- Liquids (hydration)
- Muted cell phone
- Any other personal items, such as medication, ibuprofen, etc.