An Essential Guide to Preparing for Class
And also, a big thank you to all my initial subscribers
Hi everyone,
Before I start this post, I want to extend a huge thank you to all of you for being the founding class of subscribers to the Success with Sloane newsletter. Because of your support, this newsletter has become the top listed newsletter in the Substack search engine when a user searches for “academic success” and the second newsletter listed when a user searches for “college success.” This could not have happened without all of you subscribing. I am very grateful. And now on to this week’s post.
In high school, you go to class, get taught something by a teacher, and then you leave. In college, you are responsible to be prepared for class and have already familiarized yourself with the topic. This critical difference is one of many significant new responsibilities that students must adhere to perform well in college.
When you walk into a college class, the expectation is that you have already completed the assigned readings or homework. Thus, rather than the class being your introduction to the material for the first time, in college, the class is where the material from the assignments is expanded on in order to use the lecture as an opportunity to fill in knowledge gaps, go more in-depth on a subject, and ask clarifying questions.
While this situation may seem scary, particularly for first-year college students, there are easy steps a student can follow to ensure they are prepared for class in the most effective way possible. Here are five simple steps to ensure you can position yourself to be prepared for class.
First, ensure you have all the materials you need to attend class.
My first tip to students is to pack their bag with what they need for class the night before. It should be filled with the materials you need for the day or until you are able to go back to your room and swap out your materials.
Let’s say your plan for the day is to attend biology class, attend English class, go to lunch, stop by an office offering chemistry tutoring hours, and work out at the gym before dinner near your dorm. This means your bag should contain your biology materials, English materials, wallet (or your student ID), chemistry materials, and your gym outfit. This would ensure that when you leave for class in the morning, you are set until you are able to return before dinner.
Some common materials that you should bring to class can include:
Your notes (notebook and/or laptop)
Required textbooks and other readings
Homework or other assignments to submit
The PowerPoint slides for this specific lecture
Pen, pencil, or electronic stylus (i.e., Apple Pencil)
Calculator (with good batteries)
Lab manual
Folder for the course
Participation clicker (i.e., an iClicker)
Lab goggles
I also suggest that students bring other items to their class that can make their time in the classroom a little more comfortable or may need in case of an emergency. Other suggestions include:
A water bottle
An umbrella
A snack/protein bar
Advil
Pro Tip: Students should always have a protein bar or snack in your bag just in case you either are running late one day, drop your student ID somewhere on campus and have no way to pay for a meal, or just need a few bites of something fast before class starts. Trust me, you will eventually be thanking yourself when you eat your on-the-go snack.
Second, review your class notes.
A great place to start preparing for class is by reviewing the notes from the previous class and assignment. Most courses cover material in a predetermined intentional sequence that builds up in difficulty and substance. This means that by understanding the material from the last lecture, you are going to be better prepared for the current content.
Pro Tip: Reviewing your notes is a great way to prepare for the exam and create your exam study materials. For instance, create flashcards of the content after each lecture and review them before the next time your class meets. Preparing in this way for class lessens how much time you will eventually have to spend later to master the material for an exam.
Pro Tip: Check out the syllabus or the course schedule in order to understand where the class material is heading before you delve into the required assignment. You can read my previous post on thoroughly reading a class syllabus here.
Third, do the assigned readings before the lecture and take notes on the readings.
By completing the readings before class, you have put yourself ahead of your classmates that have not done so already. This means when your professor brings up a topic, you already have a baseline awareness that will allow you to learn the material at a deeper level.
Additionally, by already having notes from the assignment, you may not need to be as diligent (or frantic) when it comes to writing down content during the lecture. For instance, the definition of a term could be in your notes from the reading assignment and therefore when it is mentioned in the lecture you do not need to re-write it in your notes.
At the end of reading and writing your notes, prepare questions that were not answered in the book and/or concepts that are still unclear to you. Your goal during the lecture is to try to fill in these gaps. Note, I will be writing a post focused on creating strong questions for class and from readings and how to take effective notes from assignments and lectures.
Pro Tip: If your questions are not answered during the lecture, ask your professor either during class, at the end of the lecture, in-office hours, or via email. This will help you stand out in a positive manner for your faculty.
Fourth, conduct a basic needs check.
Check and see if you need to refill your water or use the bathroom. Although you will almost always be allowed to leave class to take care of these things, it is hard to jump back into the lecture - never mind it could be awkward when you have missed a portion of the content or are weaving through students in a lecture hall to get to and from your seat.
Fifth, limit your distractions.
There are multiple ways you can ensure you are ready for mentally prepared for class and maximize your ability to focus in class.
Choose a seat within your classroom that makes it difficult for others to distract you. This may mean not sitting with friends, selecting a seat in the front of the classroom, or away from the entrances to the room.
Make sure you silence your cell phone and if you use a messaging application on your computer, mute it so the notifications are not distracting you from listening to the material.
Close tabs in your web browser that may grab your attention.
Pro Tip: Create a brain dump where you write down all of the things on your mind in the few minutes before class starts. This list can include personal items, assignments, and other thoughts you have. By writing things down, it can increase your ability to focus during lecture.
By completing these five steps, you will be prepared for class when it comes to having the right materials and being in the right mindset to optimize your ability to absorb the content and perform well in the class.
Image credit: Ivan Aleksic via Unsplash.