UCD Student Advisers
2 Getting the most from your Lectures /
Tutorials
It is very important to attend your lectures, learn to take meaningful notes and
read other books (beside the main subject text book) from the reading list
provided.
To get the most from your lecture:
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Go to the class prepared and ready to start.
Get there early and have all your materials (pens, paper, laptop, other
equipment) out at the start of the session.
Sit close to the front. This will minimise distraction and allow you to
give your full attention to listening.
Observe non-verbal cues and to stay ‘tuned in' throughout the lecture.
Be prepared
Go to the lecture prepared. Read the core text that the lecture will cover in
advance of the class and review your notes from your previous lecture. At the
minimum, ‘scan' read the text, for headings and introductions. Familiarise
yourself with key concepts and vocabulary. This helps to ‘tune your mind in’ and
helps you understand the information better as you listen.
Take Part
Be a critical listener and don't be afraid to ask questions at the end of the lecture.
The lecturer will often ask if there are any questions or will leave some time for
discussion. This is an opportunity to clarify things that you did not understand
fully.
Listen Actively
Go to class with the aim of listening. Listening and hearing are not the same
thing. Listening is when you really pay attention, think about and mentally
process what you are hearing. To listen well, you need to stay focused and
‘tuned in’. If you find that your mind starts to wander, be aware of this and refocus your attention. Try to focus on what is being said rather than how it is
presented or other things about the presenter. Pay attention and listen to the
message, not the messenger! If you have difficulty paying attention in class try
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UCD Student Advisers
to look at your teacher when (s)he is speaking and sit at the front of the class.
Become familiar with new words, concepts, vocabulary
For many students, the language that is used in college can be very different to
the everyday language they are used to. Also there may be a lot of new words
and concepts related to the topic you are doing. When you come across new
words in lectures, books and tutorials, make a note of them in a notebook, check
what they mean in a dictionary as soon as you can and write the meaning into
your notebook.
Tutorials / Seminars
Tutorials are directly related to lecture topics and are provided by tutors. The
tutor will be a different person than the lecturer - usually a postgraduate student and tutorial classes are much smaller. The aim of a tutorial is to give you more
information on the topic, to discuss and debate the content of the lectures and to
get additional support you need for example, if you are unclear about something,
have a question you need answered and or to help with structuring your
assignment or essay. Tutorials are designed to be interactive, so be willing to
discuss, debate and ask questions. You will take fewer notes in a tutorial. Since
tutorials are less formal, there is a danger of treating them casually.
To get the most from your tutorials:
Take tutorials seriously – then tutors will too.
Prepare for the tutorial, read the material that will be covered.
Review your lecture notes if the relevant lecture has preceded the tutorial.
Come up with ideas or questions for discussion in the tutorial.
Ask questions or ask for clarification on anything you didn’t understand in the
lecture or in the reading material.
Respond to questions and engage in discussion with your fellow students as well
as the tutor.
Make a point to always ask one question. This will keep you in the habit of
engaging with the group.
Tutorials are a perfect opportunity to trouble-shoot essay ideas and to get an
overview of what the course is about in broader terms than can be gained from
individual lectures and to identify what exactly is expected from you in terms of
assignments and exams.
Accept feedback – even it if is a bit painful - and use it as an opportunity to learn.
You can learn from both negative and positive feedback. Try not to be defensive
by explaining what you were trying to do.
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UCD Student Advisers
Attend all your tutorials!
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