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Lectures often occur in a lecture hall where distractions are common. While lectures can seem tedious, putting in some effort to listen, take notes, and get your questions answered can significantly enhance your ability to retain and process information, ultimately allowing you to study effectively and intelligently.
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1Pay attention and take thorough notes during the lecture. Although this may seem like the bare minimum or common sense, it's crucial for ensuring you have cohesive and understandable information to review later.
- Avoid attending a lecture unprepared. Bring suitable stationery, including enough paper and pens. Colored pens and highlighters can also be beneficial.
- Taking notes is not just about writing down every word spoken during the lecture. Engage actively and distill the information into concise segments.
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2If you are permitted to ask questions during the lecture, seek answers from the professor. Allowing questions to linger in your mind is rarely useful.
- Many concepts taught often have applications later in the class, so not grasping one point can sometimes make the entire session challenging.
- Remember to record any clarifications in your notes as well. This is crucial to retain the information you gained.
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3Take a moment after the lecture to reflect on what you have learned. If you cannot find time immediately after the lecture, be sure to schedule time for it later. Doing this as soon as possible is preferable, as engaging in other tasks or learning new material without revisiting the lecture can muddle your understanding. Many students may be tempted to chat with friends or listen to music right after class, but if you want the lecture content to sink in quickly, try to position yourself in an environment that includes at least one of the following features:
- A quiet space. This will let you ponder and explore what you are thinking after you get out of your lecture. Noise or other activities will easily distract your thought process, as all of the information you just heard is new.
- A place to work. A workspace to go over notes will be beneficial if you need to jot down new ideas or fix little mistakes.
- Isolation. On many campuses, student organizations may send representatives to go around and ask questions or your friends/classmates may try to start a conversation with you. While these things are necessarily "bad", being alone for a little while when trying to process big bits of new information may be beneficial.
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4Take 10-20 minutes, depending on how many notes you took, after finding a place for you to study, to think and go over what you have written down. Just reading over the notes won’t be as beneficial as jotting down your thoughts in the margins, taking a colored pen and underlining/highlighting what you deem important, and actively editing the notes. This will help you start to digest the material.
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5Review any materials your professor may have given you, such as worksheets, slides, reviews, etc. Instead of starting assignments or projects right away, read or listen to the lecture material that you might have missed in your notes. Jot down any additional information and add to your notes if you feel it necessary. This will reinforce your existing knowledge while adding new information that you may have overlooked. If time permits, continue doing this until you believe you have a solid understanding of the lecture.
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6Establish the continuum between the previous day's lectures and the day's lecture. This continuum makes it easier for your brain to interpret each lecture as a component of the whole rather than as distinct, independent ideas. This connection helps you process information better.
- Write down any additional questions you may have so you can research the subject and find the answers, or you can go to the professor later and ask questions.
- Examine further on your own. Additional context on the subject matter can be obtained by visiting the library and doing some additional reading or by conducting online research, which also helps with memory and assimilation.
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7Study less, study smart. Particularly after learning a new concept, divide your studies into manageable chunks. After 25 to 30 minutes of learning, your brain can no longer process more information, so be sure to take breaks. You can divide break times up between sections, chapters, etc.
- You would not need to study excessively for extended periods of time if you take the time to study every day. This greatly simplifies both exam preparation and revision.
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8Try teaching others what you have learned. In case you are still unclear about a particular topic, work with a fellow student and "reteach" them the concepts. Teaching concepts to others helps reinforce what you learned.
- As an alternative, try explaining the lecture's concept to someone who knows nothing about the topic and see if they grasp it. In this way, you will be able to think of new ways to remember and explain the subject. The earlier you attempt to impart the concepts to another person, the more successful this step will be.
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9Attempt homework assignments. Although you can use your notes as a guide, try to complete the assignment without consulting them. This process, known as the retrieval method, forces your brain to solve problems and fortify conceptual links. Only use your notes when absolutely necessary.
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10Know when you are most alert. You may be fatigued and not attentive immediately following your lecture or during the breaks in between classes. The most effective time to digest what you just learned is when you are attentive and alert in your studies.
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11Go on about your activities for the rest of the day. Once you get home, or your classes are over and you are doing homework or studying, go back over your notes from the lecture. Make new notes that could possibly be formed into a multiple-choice question or fill in the blank. After making the notes, wait a few minutes to quiz yourself. This is another practice of the effective retrieval method.
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12Try dual coding. This technique involves creating your own definition or process and comparing it to the actual definition while omitting details. Study sets of material from various sections or topics within the same class. Effective study will be an important factor in how much information you retain.
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13Repeat the process of taking your own “quiet time” to mull over what you learn day by day as you learn more about that subject. As you learn more, you will make connections relating back to previous lectures. It is important to continue a routine after class, as your brain will know when it's time to keep important information in.
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14Improve your memory through simple activities. The next day, or the following week, there are many things you can do outside of directly studying notes/example problems. Light exercise helps your brain retain information, as well as drinking plenty of water and eating a well-balanced diet. These things may seem trivial; however, they have significant impacts on your memory.
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15Try spaced repetition. It is more efficient to space out revisions rather than attempting to fit everything in at once. Usually, the time between revisions grows longer as you know the info you are revising better. For instance, the night following the lecture, go over your notes. Then, wait a day before the next reviewing sessions, then a week, then a month, and so on. Using spaced repetition, it is possible to retain a lot of information for a very long time, as long as you keep up with your revisions.
- Flashcard-based spaced repetition is a very popular form of this strategy. The Leitner system allows you to experiment with physical paper flashcards, but numerous algorithm-based programs out there determine the best time to review a particular flashcard for retention. Some well-known websites, apps, or programs that can accomplish this are SuperMemo, Mnemosyne, Quizlet, and Anki.
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Tips
- Do not underestimate the importance of active listening and note-taking. While even without listening to the lecture, you can study enough from your own research, it puts a lot of strain on your mind.Thanks
- Do not hesitate to ask for help. It is acceptable to ask for assistance when you need it, whether it comes from friends or instructors. It helps you in the long run.Thanks
- Try to collaborate with a group of friends to share notes and quiz each other. This helps all of you.Thanks
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