Sophie Leong | Student Life

We’ve all been there. You walk into class for the first lecture and there are, literally, 300 students already sitting down. You find a seat towards the top of the lecture hall, and frantically attempt to write down every word your professor says as they jump right into the class material. Large lecture classes can be scary, but with the right strategies, you can make them feel small and be successful.

Pay attention to where you’re sitting

Something that can subconsciously affect your experience in large classes is where you sit. My general recommendation is to sit closer to the front. It doesn’t have to be the front row, but sitting towards the front can help make a large class feel a lot smaller, because you’ll only be able to see the few people in front of you. I’ve also found that it can minimize distractions. When sitting closer to the front, there are fewer things in your field of vision, which can help you focus on the board or your own notes. Audibly, too, those who sit at the front tend to talk less, which can help keep your mind on what the professor is saying. 

If you don’t want to sit up closer, make sure that you can see the board and be conscious of the people who tend to sit around you. If you’ve got yappers around you, it’s probably in your best interest to move somewhere else. One exception to my recommendation of sitting towards the front is if your professor uses the projector screen a lot and you have to crane your neck to see it.

Go to office hours

This one may sound a bit obvious, but it really, really is helpful. If there’s something you don’t understand or something you want to discuss more in depth, there is no better opportunity than office hours. The lectures have to move on and stay on pace, but that shouldn’t stop you from getting a full understanding of the previous lecture’s material. The syllabus will often contain information on office hours scheduling. If you can’t make any of the sessions, ask your professor if you can set up appointments with them to go over your questions or thoughts. 

Oftentimes, multiple office hour sessions will be held, sometimes with different people leading them (there may be multiple professors or teaching assistants for your class). Do some experimenting and find what works for you, and stick with it! If you think you get the most out of a particular office hours session, make it a habit to go to it. Add it to your calendar and treat it almost like a class session.

Get to know your professors

This just makes class more fun, especially when getting to know the professor isn’t built into the course as much as it might be in smaller classes. I think that this can help students pay more attention to what is being taught. Good professors will show to students why they love the subject they teach, and that interest can be transmitted to the students willing to listen. The more you get to know your professors, the more that this can be the case for you, and the more interesting each lecture becomes.

Professors also often want to learn more about you! Even though they have many students, especially considering they may teach the class year after year, they often love to hear from students. Professors have a lot of cool stories to tell and some great tips/information that they might not have time to get through in lecture. So, show up to office hours or talk with them before/after class!

Show up, or at least keep up

Simply showing up to class can help a lot in ensuring you get the most out of the course. Being in the atmosphere of the lecture hall tends to help me get into the mindset to focus on the lecture. Consistently attending my lectures has also helped me build a routine and feel more in control of my schedule. It is also good to show up simply out of respect for your professors! They have to be there, and for the most part like teaching what they teach. It is a lot more fulfilling when they’re looking at real people instead of empty chairs.

If for any reason you can’t make it to class, see if lectures get recorded (larger courses often do this!) and watch the ones you miss. If you can, make sure to do so before the next lecture. This will keep you on track with the class and help you avoid cramming closer to exams. Be careful not to rely too heavily on these recordings if you can avoid it. You might be more susceptible to distractions when watching online, and you won’t get the chance to ask any questions. Lectures might also begin to pile up if you get into a habit of only watching recordings.

Get to know your professors’ teaching style

Some professors write a lot on the chalkboard. Others tend to read from their slides more. Some zip through their lectures, others slow down and cover a little less material. You might naturally grasp their styles, but try to consciously get a feel for how your professor teaches. Knowing this can help you with how you learn. For example, if your professor tends to go quickly through their lectures, it could be a good idea to take more detailed notes before the lecture (if they publish their material beforehand), and then pay closer attention to what they say in lecture as they say it.

Reading the syllabus (before the first lecture!) can be a great way to get a feel for teaching style. In addition to providing important information for you to know about the course (how grading is broken down, when your exams are, course policies, etc.), professors will sometimes discuss their teaching philosophy in the syllabus. This can be a great way to get an understanding of what you’re getting yourself into.

Review each lecture

One strategy that has helped me a lot in content-heavy lecture courses has been reviewing each lecture on the day of or day after the lecture occurred. For me, this looks like rewriting notes — not writing down exact copies, but transcribing them with all additional understandings gained during lecture or thereafter. This can be immensely helpful in retaining the information. Literally write down every single thing you remember about the material taught! It provides an opportunity for you to recall the information, as well as to simply think through the information again. If you don’t feel up for doing this after each lecture, though I think that that is the best strategy, consider reviewing each week’s lectures over the weekend (or do both!).

This tactic helps avoid cramming before exams, and helps get all of the things you’re learning into your long-term memory, making studying down the line easier.