Whether you're sitting in a large lecture hall or attending an interactive seminar, how you engage with your classes has a big impact on your learning process.
Actively participating in your lessons not only helps you understand the material more deeply, but it also saves you valuable study time later. By listening actively, taking notes strategically, and thinking critically about the content, you can get the most out of every class.
Here are some practical tips to help you make better use of your lectures and take more efficient notes.
Step 1: Before the lecture
- Prepare for the topic: Check any materials your lecturer has provided to see what will be covered. Read the relevant literature in advance to build a basic understanding. Come across an unfamiliar term? Try to figure out its meaning from the context, look for related words, or look it up.
- Review your notes from the previous class: Briefly going over what you learned last time helps you get back into the right mindset and makes it easier to see how the topics connect across lectures.
- Ask yourself questions: Think about what you hope to learn during the lecture. What questions do you expect to be answered? This helps you listen more purposefully.
- Choose your seat strategically: Find a spot where you're least likely to be distracted, by others or by yourself.
Step 2: During the lecture
- Try to stay focused as much as possible: It is unrealistic to concentrate fully throughout the entire lesson. It is normal to get distracted. Try to stay as actively involved as possible in the speaker's explanation. If you notice your mind wandering, be kind to yourself and gently bring your attention back to the lecture.
- Try to keep your attention on the speaker: This will help you to stay focused and follow the main thread.
- Pay attention to key points: Don’t write down everything verbatim, but make a conscious choice about which information is essential. Focus on identifying the main ideas and essential details.
- Participate actively: Participating in discussions and exercises helps you to process the material and stay engaged.
- Take good notes: There are different methods for taking notes. Watch this video about note-taking and choose an approach that works best for you.
Tips for effective note-taking:
Be selective: Focus on core concepts, key examples, and what the lecturer emphasizes. Avoid transcribing everything.
Use your own structure: Consider lists, mind maps, or writing a short summary for each topic. Choose a style that works for you.
Review your notes after class: Take a few minutes to complete or rewrite them. This reinforces your memory.
Digital or paper? Try both. Some people retain more by writing by hand, while others prefer typing for clarity and speed.
Write down questions: Note anything that’s unclear so you can follow up later with classmates or your lecturer.
Keep experimenting: Develop a note-taking approach that works for you and continue refining it throughout your studies.
Step 3: After the lecture
It is normal that you do not understand everything immediately after a lesson. During the lecture, you are mainly presented with new information; the real processing only begins afterwards. In the days following the lesson, the key is to not yet focus on memorizing everything, but on understanding, structuring, and checking what you already know and what is still unclear.
- Schedule a review session: Without review, we quickly forget a large part of new information. By reviewing your notes a few days after class, you reinforce your understanding and lay a foundation for later study.
- Highlight the most important concepts: Underline or circle key terms and note the most important insights from the lecture. This will clarify the core of the material.
- Restructure your notes: Make your notes clearer without literally rewriting them. By rephrasing the content in your own words, you actively process the material and more quickly notice what you already understand and what still raises questions.