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franknfurter
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13 Oct 2013, 9:56 am

I am having problems with the set up of my course, I juts feel completely lost, you sit in a lecture hall with 100 other people while one person talks at you for 2 hours then you are meant to go away and read up on it, but I get confused and overwhelmed in the lecture and don't know what I am doing, I cant note take because it does not make sense and I don't know what I am doing, its so impersonal, none of the lecturers even know who you are really, there is too many people to feel comfortable with the lecture is too long for me to take things in. maybe I just have to get used to it but it all feels overwhelming I don't like the structure if there is even a structure to the mess of words they say in the lecture



Helixstein
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13 Oct 2013, 10:09 am

So I'm not at university yet, but some of my high school teachers have given me a heads-up on what to anticipate in lectures. Obviously university-style teaching is a big step-up from high school teaching, but I think you'll get your head around it in time. Change can be hard, but it's also rewarding and university, before no time, will prove amazing - I'm sure of it! :)


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Thelibrarian
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13 Oct 2013, 10:17 am

The last two years of my undergrad degree had three hour lectures, and before computers became ubiquitous. Since I had to take copious notes, whether I understood them at the time or not, and had big problems with writing, classes were an exercise in pain.

Having earned a master's, my recommendation to you would be to take only courses you have an interest in, and therefore are more likely to understand. Since this isn't always possible, my recommendation for required courses is just to take the notes and read the text until you understand the material. It helps anyway to read before the class what the lecture will cover. Reading the material before the lecture also enables you to ask intelligent questions, which impresses the instructor.

I hated school, but I sure like where it put me. I've got a cush job that I can tolerate, and I do alright financially, though I'm not getting rich. In other words, school is a wonderful thing to have done provided your degree is marketable.



Ann2011
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13 Oct 2013, 11:05 am

Always read the assigned material before the lecture as then the lecture may make more sense. And it is imperative that you take notes. The lecture is a place to gather information (and it will be on the exam.) Note taking is an art - my own style is to use point form with headings and subheadings. Don't try to record verbatim what the lecturer says - let your own understanding of what s/he is saying guide what you record. Again, if you have done the readings, you have a guide as to the important aspects of the lecture.