Section 3 MAKING THE CLASSROOM WORK FOR YOU If you checked "No" on any of the above statements, these are areas that, with improvement, could help you get more out of your classes. our classwork starts long before you take your seat in the classroom. Some students act as if being in the classroom is supposed to be a passive experience--that is, sitting back silently and listening to the instructor until it's time to leave. Not sol Certainly a large part of your class time will be spent listen ing to your instructor talk; but you'll be doing this in an active fashion--taking notes, posing ques- tions, offering comments and opinions. Taking an active part in the classroom also means preparing beforehand because for quality learning to occur, classwork begins before the class does. Know What the Class Is About At the beginning of the term, your instructors should give you a syllabus for each of your courses. A syllabus is a detailed outline of the material that will be covered in a course and all the readings, papers, quizzes, exams, and so on that will be assigned and when they'll be due. The syllabus is one of your most important tools for being prepared. As soon as you get your copy for each class, read it carefully. You'll get an overview of what the class will cover, and you'll get an idea of how much time you'll need to spend reading, studying, and working on assignments for each course. This will help you manage all of your time more effectively. It's a good idea to keep a print or electronic backup copy of each syllabus so it's always handy. You don't want to fall behind on your readings for class because you can't find your syllabus. After you've become familiar with the syllabus, the next step is to follow it. Here's exactly where some students run into trouble. They hope they can get away with attending class without reading the assignments beforehand. However, the instructor is not merely going to repeat the contents of the assignment for those who didn't read it. The reading assignment is a "jumping-off place for the class activities. In other words, the class lecture, discussion, and application activities will be based on the reading. Therefore, if you haven't read the assigned reading before going into class, chances are very good that you won't know what the instructor is talking about, you won't provide quality input in group discussions, and you won't know how to apply information covered in the reading assignment. When you are unprepared for class, you simply learn less and your class discussion group won't appreciate it either. Also, your instructor may take class preparation and participation into consider- ation when determining your grade (especially if it is borderline). THE IMPORTANCE OF CLASS ATTENDANCE College classes are your opportunity to learn directly from instructors who are skilled and experi- enced in their area and who are devoted to helping you learn. Rarely will you get such an oppor- tunity. That's the great thing about college—it's an environment totally devoted to you and to your education. Now that you've got this opportunity, don't waste it. When You Miss a Class Even with the best intentions, there will be days when you cannot attend class. Try to make these days as few as possible. No one expects you to attend classes if you've got a fever of 102; on the other hand, a mild head cold or a case of the Wahs" shouldn't keep you away from class. Instructors ap- preciate it when students make the effort to attend class despite obstacles, they make the effort, too. If, because of illness or an emergency, you absolutely cannot attend class, let your instructor know. A phone call, text, or email from a trusted person is not only courteous, it lets the instructor know that you take your responsibilities as a student seriously. Likewise, it's a good idea to let your instructor know if, for some reason, your essay or homework assignment will be late because you cannot hand it in yourself. Even better, ask a friend or classmate to deliver your assignment for your responsible behavior and commitment to success make a big impression on any instructor When you've been absent, dont -Jessie ask your instructor, "Have I missed anything?" Of course you've missed Thad a terrible cold and a fever of 102. I hadn't missed a dass all year, something, and it is insulting to ask but I couldn't go when I felt so miserable. I was nervous, though, because that question. It is your responsibility my instructors always seemed to be really annoyed with people who to find out what you missed. If your missed a class Solleft her a message saying that was sick and probably instructor posts all or most of the couldn't attend dass the rest of the week. The day dass was scheduled course content online, that will be the I called the instructor at her office to make sure shed gotten the note. first place to look. Second, call a was really nervous. She was so nice-she asked me how i was feeling classmate to find out about assign- and said shed send an e-mail with an attached handout and assignment ments, class discussion, missed notes, I'd missed Well it turns out she doesn't have anything against students and handouts. If for some reason you being absent when they have to be; it's just that so few of them ever still can't get all the information you need about the missed dass, only bother to let her know. It gives the impression that they just don't care. She appreciated the fact that I let her know, and she even extended the then should you ask your instructor deadline for my next paper by a week, so I could get back on my feet. Why not ask the instructor first? It is the instructor's responsibility to hold class as scheduled, not to repeat what went on in class for individuals who missed that day. Remember, you're not that instructor's only student, you may not even be the only student who missed class. Look at it this way: suppose an instructor has 120 students in four classes, and five students from each class missed one day. If each of these twenty students came up to the instructor individually to ask what ma- terial they missed that instructor would spend as much time teaching out of class as in class. Make an effort to check your instructor's online course postings, and find one or two classmates with whom you and any other information. can exchange phone numbers. That way you will have dependable sources for missed notes, handouts, Section 3: Making the Classroom Work for You CLASSROOM ETIQUETTE 162 In my algebra class, there are three students who whisper constantly in the back row. They sit so far back that the in structor can't really hear them, but those of us who sit near them can, and it is very distracting. We have assigned seats, soljust can't move away ~Rob- radit/spent most of the first day of dasses of the coffeehouse, talking with some friends. I figured that on the I did think they do any work. Well, my psychology professor engaged the dessin a group participation activity, erst day of classes most of the instructors would just sort of introduce themselves and then let the dass out early. and she assigned a one-page paper due on the second dass I walked into the second dass without a paper-nor ever knowing there was an assignment, and got a zero. I also learned that everyone in the first doss gor participation paint with a smile on her face, my professor said, Weve got learning in every dass You don't see the really successful students sting around campus when they're supposed to be in doss. lako enrolled in an online course this semester and neglected to follow the start date. I started a week later and found some hard lessons; I don't skip classes anymore, unless I'm really sick. that I had already missed an assignment and an online group session. I lost points for both of these toa Well, I learned As you can tell from Rob's experience, the first day of class is just as important as any other. Your instructors may choose to devote the first class to distributing and reviewing your course syllabus This is a great opportunity to ask questions about future assignments, course requirements, and the amount of out-of-class work you'll be expected to do. You'll learn what your instructors' policies are regarding lateness, absences, paper formats, and deadline extensions. Your instructors may discuss how your grade will be determined. Still, there are many teachers who, after discussing the syllabus, go right into the course material with lectures, activities, and/or a assignments. Every class after the first is important as well. Instructors have a lot of information to give you and only a certain number of class hours in which to give it, so every minute counts. Even if you know what's on the syllabus and do all your assignments, you still need to attend every class. Sometimes the syllabus changes, your instructor may add, modify, or delete assignments or change the due date of some. Also, many instructors, despite their best intentions, find themselves falling behind in the course and may double up assignments to get the class back on track. Pop quizzes are not listed on the syllabus; if you miss one, your grade will be zero. Most of all you're there to learn, and it's your re- sponsibility. It's the instructor's responsibility to structure learning experiences: reading assignments, active learning situations, team work, papers, and projects-all experiences to help you and your classmates learn and apply what you've learned. Get There Early Go to bit early. Class is your appointment with your instructor and fellow classmates. Being punctual shows every class-on time. As with any appointment, it's a good idea to be on time or, even better, a pou plan to arrive early, chances are that any unforeseen delays, such as a traffic jam, won't make you respect for their time and schedule. There are many advantages to arriving early to class. First of all, if late for class. Arriving early allows you to prepare yourself for class-to find the best seat, get your text open to the right chapter, review your notes from the previous class, even take a few moments to discuss a question or problem with your instructor. You might discuss the homework assignment with classmates, or just take a quiet moment for yourself before you start to work. When you participate in a class debate or discussion, you'll often have opinions that differ from those of your classmates. Learn to discuss the course material in a serious, respectful manner. Academic arguments should never become shouting matches. Listen to your class- mates points without interrupting. State your opinion and offer facts to back it up. Avoid monopolizing a discussion so all can have their views heard. Often you'll learn that you Sree with your classmates on more points than you'd thought at first, the rest of the time, learn to disagree without being disagreeable. If the instructor is speaking too fast or too softly for you to understand, raise your hand and let her know in a polite and tactful way."Excuse me, Mrs. Maddox, could you speak a little more loudly? It's hard to hear you from this row, and I don't want to miss what you're saying is the considerate way to make such a request. Help maintain the cleanliness and appearance of the classroom. After class, discard all trash. Review your course syllabi for each professor's specific class policies. Classroom Work for You CLASS PARTICIPATION You attend every class, and you make sure you get there five minutes early. You don't whisper to your neighbor or otherwise cause disruptions in class. Is this enough to guarantee success? No-an im- portant element is missing. To get the very most out of your class time, you also need to be an active participant. This means you take an active interest in the lesson, pay careful attention, and offer your own input when appropriate. This is important in the classroom and will also be important in the workplace. You have read earlier that many instructors consider your attendance and/or participation when determining your grade. Class participation shows your instructors --Nina- that you take an active interest in your education and in the topics they are teach- I couldn't believe it when I got a "C+ in my psychology class ing. Becoming an active participant also last year. I got Bs" on all my papers and tests. I asked my in- helps you get the most out of every class. If structor about my grade and he said that, even though I wrote you have questions about the material being well rorely opened my mouth in class--and we had group taught, the best time to ask is right away- problem-solving discussions once a week. In fact, he said, when you're getting acquainted with the sometimes he had to look around the room to see if I was even material for the first time. there. It turns out class participation counted for 30 percent of Some students feel shy about speaking up the grade in that class. I found out later that it said so on the in class. They feel that their questions are syllabus; but to tell you the truth, I hadn't read it that carefully dumb" or that the other students will resent their speaking out, but you'll probably find that most of your fellow students actually appreciate your asking a question or bringing up a complex issue. Even if the other students do seem to have more of a handle on the material, remember there is no one in the class who is such an expert on the material that they can't benefit from hearing further explanations. "I've had classmates come up to me after class and say, 'I'm glad you brought that up!" says Michael. "I'd rather feel a little awkward about asking a question in class than sit there the night before an exam wishing I had."
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