Preparing For Your University Classes

Many students are unsure about the best way to prepare for their classes. Although the exact optimal strategy can vary depending on the programme, some general guidelines are given below.

How to prepare for lecture classes?

Try to arrive a bit early so you can get a seat in the lecture theatre where you can see and hear the lecturer clearly.

Students commonly attend a lecture not knowing anything about a topic. For some subjects this is fine, but for others, the lecture is so technical and goes at such a rapid pace, they are lost after 10 minutes. For this reason, it is often helpful to review any lecture slides and course materials on the topic prior to the lecture. If time permits, it may even be worthwhile to read through the relevant section of the textbook.

Many study guides imply that lecturers are open to taking questions during a lecture. While this is often true, it isn’t always. Sometimes lecturers will quickly shut down any questions, and at the end of the lecture rapidly disappear, leaving no chance to ask questions. If this happens at your university, note down any questions you have and ask them using the facilities in the Learning Management System (LMS) and at tutorials or workshops.

Some students may be wondering if they have already studied the material, why go to the lecture? If you are absolutely sure you’ve mastered the material, then you could consider skipping the lecture, but repeated exposure to the course content facilitates learning and helps to commit it to memory.

How to prepare for laboratories?

Compared with lectures, preparation for laboratories is much more important. Lectures aren’t typically marked, whereas your performance in laboratories will contribute directly to your final grade. In addition, there is often a hurdle associated with the laboratories which means you must pass the laboratories to pass the course overall. In other words, even if you get very high marks in any final exam and other assessments, you will still fail the course if you fail the labs.

Steps to prepare for laboratories

  1. Read through the lab manual. Make sure you understand the purpose of the experiment. Review the underlying theory if necessary.

  2. Familiarise yourself with the steps you need to follow. Work through the steps several times visualising yourself completing them.

  3. Some labs have pre-lab work you must complete. Do this if required.

  4. If there is any equipment you need to use, research how it works.

  5. Pay careful attention to any safety procedures.

  6. Be prepared to record any data and think about what the results should look like.

  7. Arrive on the day of the lab with plenty of time before the start.

  8. Bring any safety gear needed. It’s common for students to forget things like safety glasses or lab coats.

  9. Do your best to stay calm. Working methodically and smoothly is the quickest way to progress through the lab.

Often you can view videos of similar experiments. While many labs require specialised equipment you won’t have at home, in some cases, there are similar virtual tools available so you can familiarise yourself with the principles.

Be prepared for your experiment to have issues. This is normal and not a cause for panic. A few minor issues won’t mean failing the lab class. After the lab is over, complete and submit any necessary reports. Learn from anything that didn’t go to plan and consider how to do better next time.

Remember that many students fail themselves by skipping too many required labs. It is seldom the case that a student that prepares properly and attends all their labs will fail this portion of a course.

Tip
 Often you must pass the labs to pass the course. Pay careful attention to how labs contribute to final grades, and what the rules are around missed labs.