The Key To Learning Happens After Class Is Over

Many things happen during a lecture. The previous night's homework is reinforced, new concepts are introduced, and clarification of confusing topics take place. It seems like a lot of work for an hour or two of your time. Once class is over, so is your learning, right? Wrong! You'll need to do a little more work. This is going to be difficult, I know, because you're probably focused on grabbing a bite to eat or meeting up with friends after class. However, by doing a litte bit of work now, you'll save yourself a LOT of work later. This is an important point. Think about the routine for a minute. You go to class. You write down everything the professor says, thinking to yourself that you'll read the notes later if you forget what is said. You stuff the notes into your bag, never to be read again until the night (or day of) a test. You might even bring a tape recorder to class with the same intentions. You might read the recommended chapters for homework, or you might not. Then, the night before a test, you forsake a social outing to review all of your notes and to catch up on all the reading in the textbook. You continue this dance minutes before the test begins. You sweat during the test, trying to sort out what you've assimilated the night before. Does this sound like you? Many students fall into this trap. Not only is it inefficient, it makes you work too hard, and you end up learning nothing. This is why you need to invest a little time now in order to reap the rewards later. What to do? First, glance over them as soon as possible after the lecture. The lesson will still be fresh in your mind, and you will be able to recall almost the entire lecture. You will also be able to supply missing parts from memory. Some students make it a rule to reduce all their notes to typewritten form soon after the lecture. This is an excellent practice, but it's pretty time-consuming. If you want to take this extra step, it's definitely effective, but not completely necessary. Secondly, review your notes, typewritten or not, as the first step in the preparation of the next day