Welcome back bears! I hope the first weeks back at school have treated you well and that you’re starting to find a rhythm in your classes. As a university, we are at a point in the academic schedule where test materials, essay drafts, and project assignments are starting to be assigned for the weeks ahead. We have several blog posts from previous semesters that cover these topics (Finals / Test Taking and Study Tips) but I wanted to write about strategies for engaging in the college classroom before the midterm point. Engagement is achieved through both active listening and learning in the classroom so the terms have been used interchangeably in this post. 

What are Practical Ways I Can Start Actively Listening?

I wanted to break down three practical steps you can apply to your learning this week:

1. Participate in class discussions. If you find that your instructor relies heavily on discussions and breakout groups then you can start prepping before class with the provided materials if you were assigned a reading the week before to analyze it and create discussion questions to share with your group or to carry the conversation with an instructor. 
2.  Ask your instructor questions. Arriving early to class, staying after, or utilizing office hours shouldn’t feel like an intrusion because they are there for you to succeed. If something isn’t making sense, you want to seek clarification on an assignment or a grade. If you have school/career-related questions, take advantage of the opportunity to ask an expert—your instructor!
3.  Follow along at the pace of the course. Attending each class and following along with lecture notes and assignments will keep you on track making it easier to listen. If you fall behind or skip a class period you’ll be playing catch up as opposed to coming in prepared to learn new material. 

How Engaging In The Classroom Will Impact You Outside The Classroom

Each of the actions I listed will push you as a student to become more academically driven as you grow more comfortable in these practices. Connecting with classmates and instructors is a networking technique that will advance your career opportunities. In addition, practicing now will set you up for success in the post-grad world where collaborating with others and participating in discussion is the expectation. Lastly, active listening is a key component in relationships of all kinds.

Takeaways

Active learning is not something that will come easily especially if it’s not already a common practice for you but starting somewhere is important. I challenge you to try one of the tips I listed to listen in the classroom and see if you note any differences. I hope that this blog post served as a motivation to put your best foot forward and take charge of your education. If you want more advice on what success in the classroom looks like, the Center for Academic Success and Transition Success Coaches and Peer Mentors would be a great resource to contact. 

~Aubrey

(Bio: My name is Aubrey Hardy, and I am a senior studying special needs education. Fun fact: I’ve read over 15 books this year!)