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Getting the most of your lecture

by Corey Weedmark

Utica College Public Relations Intern

At the beginning of every semester, college students start out with the best of intentions. They cramp up their hands taking endless notes they will struggle to understand later, show up dressed in clothes they did not wear to bed the night before, and highlight what they deem important, which usually means the first part of a chapter ends up in solid yellow, and the second half, because we've given in to our lazy side, bare. Then comes mid semester, some students start to slack off and realize that the notes they've been religiously taking all year are ineffective, and they have no clue what their professor has been talking about all that time prior to midterms.

You need to know how to really get something out of your professor when he or she go on into these lectures, and that doesn't mean an hour-long story about their last family vacation. You need to know when to ask questions, when to take notes, and when to listen. Three main concepts you learned in elementary school can be the difference between making the Dean's List and being afraid to go home for Christmas break.

It's easy to turn yourself around from the point you reach when you start to consider dropping out of school and selling air brushed t-shirts for a living. Your class time is valuable, even more so when the professor lectures for the majority of it. Those lectures may be as interesting as watching paint dry, but your professor is telling you what you need to know. There's no hard work involved for you besides listening and taking notes. You may not have realized that you can get a lot from that class, a lot more than the hundreds of dollars in text-messaging fees that you've run up while pretending to listen.

Asking questions can be a scary thing. Some professors, when they're in the middle of an intense lecture, are hard to interrupt. But if they're going over something that you don't understand, or going too fast, you need to ask a question. Don't be afraid to stop your professor from continuing on until you understand what they're saying. No matter how well you take notes, you will not be able to understand later what you don't understand now. You'll be surprised when you ask that question how many other people will be wondering the same thing. You're paying a lot of money for your education, and you need to understand what is going on in that classroom. The biggest piece of advice any professor will give a student will be to ask questions. If you don't feel comfortable asking in front of the class then go to the professor's office. Not only will you impress him or her as a dedicated student, but also you'll understand what is going on in the next class, and you'll be able to take more effective notes.

Note taking is hard. There should be entire mandatory classes dedicated to taking effective and useful notes, but there aren't. So college students are left to fend for themselves and figure out the best way to take notes that they will be able to understand later. Don't write down word for word what your professor is writing on the board, when they do write on the board they're also talking – and sometimes what they're saying is more useful than what they've written out on the board. Write short, punchy sentences. Write enough so that you get the point later when you're reading over your notes and studying for that midterm or final, but not so many notes that you're reading a book.  If your professor enjoys power point presentation ask for a copy of the power points so you can write down what the professor is saying to help explain the power points. Highlight key parts of your notes, not an entire page. Just give yourself a reminder of important information.

Listening is key. It is so easy to fade off and start thinking about that special someone, or the party plans for the weekend. Some students strategically position themselves with their back to a window; others sit with their back to the door so people passing by don't distract them. The most important part about listening is that you know your weakness. You know when you get distracted and you do what you can do to avoid it. Listen all the time, professors will start talking about a topic and the more they talk the more they'll simplify something, and also give you a good indication as to what will be on the next test. If a professor is constantly repeating something, chances are you'll see that topic again.

There are ways to successfully pay attention during class, get something out of your lecture, and be able to do well on the next test. Some of the greatest professors can unknowingly make it easy for even the smartest student to fail. So be proactive, start listening, taking effective notes, and asking questions. You'll be glad you did