By: Isabella Ciaravino
After four years as a university student, I have attended one hundred of these, paid attention to half, and fell asleep in one too many. You know what I’m talking about; we’ve been there, we’ve done that, we’ve all been through lectures. The lecture was too long, too complex, and too boring to stay engaged in. Especially, if you have had back-to-back classes throughout the day, you may find yourself becoming increasingly zombie-like to survive the day.
Lucky for you, I have a guaranteed solution. From student to student, I am going to share tips and tricks to like your lectures. Here is how to stay engaged in a lecture and how to keep yourself mentally present!
Sit in the front row!
It seems scary and intimidating at first, but what I have noticed about myself within classes is that when I decide to sit in the front row, I am always either proposing a question, answering questions from the professor, and, overall, have performed better in the class compared to when I have sat in the back or middle row. Personally, I find it limits distractions (which I will elaborate on later in this article) and essentially gives you only one choice: pay attention and stay engaged. Staying in the front row also creates a bond between you and the professor, which is a wonderful way to get to know them and know more about the topic of the lecture you are studying.
Grab a notebook, yes, a physical notebook.
Our generation has the advantage of being able to use computers in lectures, however, it is easier to understand the concept of what you are learning much more effectively if you are writing them down. Having the choice to write my notes down within class gives me a greater understanding of what exactly I am learning. As a fourth-year student, I have tried all the tips, tricks, and tools to try to understand the material more efficiently, and the one that dominates is writing my notes down on a physical piece of paper. With this, I have learned that, during my exams, I have the muscle memory of writing down my notes. A Philosophy course for example: Would you rather write down your ideas and various theories effortlessly on a piece of paper or would you rather struggle with digital formatting of your thoughts and notes? With a blank paper in front of me and a pencil in my right hand, my work has increased value, and I am in control of what my mind will be learning. Having nice stationery and notebook next to you, will remind yourself of the greatness you will achieve throughout the academic year.
No question is a bad question!
Lectures can be scary, especially if there are over a hundred students in the classroom. However, asking questions is valuable within the time you have because you never know who is wondering the same question, and allowing your professor to acknowledge you making a meaningful contribution.
Make a friend
To know someone in your class means you would feel more encouraged and excited to see them in your class. Making friends in your class is important in how you feel about being present in class. By making a friend, there is the possibility of finding someone who likes the same subject, in the same program, or someone who you can flourish with you as a student. In second year, I had a class where the material was uneasy, hard, and difficult; and on the first class, I remembered a girl turned around and asked me to be friends with her to study with and get to know each other. She mentioned something funny to me that I still remember, she said how I was the only one that she found it easy to approach me and talk to. Since that moment in class, her and I are still the best of friends to this day. We hung out with each other a few days ago and our friendship is still one of the bests I have made within my university experience overall, thank you Mey, love you!
Prepare ideas or possible objections you have made throughout the readings.
Being in my last year of York University, I have noticed that within my time here, professors would much rather you have ideas or possible objections from the readings you were given, or what they have said in the previous class. In my Philosophy of Psychiatry class, I noticed the reading that was given to me was on how pharmaceutical drugs and talk therapy clash with each other when it comes to mental illness. However, I had taken a social work class before this one, and I noticed that there was another approach to those who have mental illness. I emailed my professor asking what he thought of my suggestions from the reading, and he replied less than twenty-four hours later, excited that I had raised an idea that could contribute to the class. Many of my professors have said they love when students create their own thoughts and words within what they are given in class. After all, this is what readings are for: to understand and create new ways to challenge the subject you are given.
Stay hydrated and bring snacks!
I used consistently be tired, fatigued, and unengaged in lectures when I would not plan for having snacks or water with me. I decided to do an experiment on myself where, for one week, I brought a probiotic drink and crackers. I noticed an enormous difference between when I eat and when I do not. When I did not eat or drink anything during my lectures, I was unengaged or unable to listen to what was being taught. When I was drinking and eating healthily, not only did I understand the material, but I enjoyed more of what I was learning. After a while, I would drink water without even knowing it, and it would alleviate any tiredness I was experiencing during the lecture. I believe by staying hydrated and satiated during a lecture can make you mentally present and want to know what you are learning about.
Take time for yourself!
Everyone deserves to have a little break in their life, especially within lectures. Sometimes we get lethargic and start to slip away from paying attention in lectures. It is never wrong to take a pause, go outside, go get a quick snack to bite on, and then resume your learning. This coincides with making a friend during your lectures, because while you are going through that mental break, you can always ask a friend to update you when you come back. Taking these small mental breaks within your lectures will help you stay way more engaged within the material given to you.
Highlight, highlight, highlight!
I will not stress this enough when I say you must highlight the most important points you have written down. Highlighting things like definitions, terminology, or key points that the professor or your TA has mentioned within class, cannot only increase your study habits and allow yourself to understand the material better when outside of the classroom, but it lets you stay more engaged because of the highlighting methodology. You can choose different colours to determine which is what, such as examples given, what the reading mentions versus what the lecture says, and your own questions that you can ask within class. I know that in most of my classes, we are required to complete essays at the end of the term; I always like to highlight my textbooks that mention essential things that I can write my thesis on, or even look back to my notes find things I can incorporate into my argument. Doing this during your lectures could enhance your memory and your overall learning.
Limit distractions
Your computer and your phone are going to be your biggest enemies when you enter a lecture. It is so easy to be distracted by a message your friend has sent you, a funny video that you saw before class, or a game you like to play. However, if you limit these distractions within your lectures, and only allow yourself to pay attention and write notes within your lectures, your engagement will increase. This should be self-spoken when saying you must put away your phone and computer for the remainder of the class.
Overall, these tips can help engagement during your lectures. I hope you have learnt and taken something from this, and that you will succeed more with what I have given you. Good luck on your year and stay confident!
I am an author who loves to read and write about non-fiction and fictional stories. I am studying Cognitive Sciences and planning to pursue master’s in philosophy. I am hoping to become a professor one day. My aspirations for others are to learn and have fun while studying in university. I am an accomplished student who wishes others will feel the same about school as I do.
— Isabella Ciaravino