How Can I Use Class Most Efficiently?

[MissionStanford]

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I like to go to classes to force myself to get up in the morning and make sure that I've at least been exposed to the lectures for that day once and also just in case the recording ends up not running smoothly.

I usually sit up front, but sometimes the lecturers talk too quickly or are incredibly boring. I've tried taking notes, but if the lecturer moves too quickly, then I end up getting very little down and not following too well. I'm just wondering what strategies some of you guys find helpful while listening to a lecture in class.

Also, I'm an MSI, we're starting our neuro theme Monday.

 

[sinombre]

I had the same problem. My strategy for listening to lectures in class is that I don't go to class. I go to the library and listen to podcasts, that way I'm not tempted to procrastinate at home while not attending lecture.

You should at least try this method. You can increase the speed of the lectures (and get more proficient at it over time), and you can pause/write things down/look things up. It obviously doesn't work for everyone, but it works amazingly for me.

 

[TheShaker]

I like to go to classes to force myself to get up in the morning and make sure that I've at least been exposed to the lectures for that day once and also just in case the recording ends up not running smoothly.

I usually sit up front, but sometimes the lecturers talk too quickly or are incredibly boring. I've tried taking notes, but if the lecturer moves too quickly, then I end up getting very little down and not following too well. I'm just wondering what strategies some of you guys find helpful while listening to a lecture in class.

Also, I'm an MSI, we're starting our neuro theme Monday.

Honestly, going to class is a waste of time for me since I just get lost for the same reason that you do. Whenever I do go, I just put down the laptop and just listen for the big picture since you're going to rewatch it again anyway. I still think it's not a good use of my time though.

 

[Jabbed]

OP probably goes to class to force himself/herself to keep on track with the material. In terms of motivation, waking up to go to class is way different than waking up to go to the library.

That said, I don't go to class. What I do to keep pace with x2.5 speed video lectures though is preview the material on my own before sitting through the lecture. Aim to fully understand as much of the material as you can before attending class, so that your live lecture is more of a 'fill in the blanks' than a 'please tell me wtf is going on here' scenario.

Also, don't sit in the front row. That's just weird.

 

[FutureInternist]

Form a study group & study during class time, since for the most part, going to class is a waste of time

Having other people waiting on you should be a big enough motivator

 

[LostinLift]

Title is an oxymoron

 

[lobo.solo]

I had the same problem. My strategy for listening to lectures in class is that I don't go to class. I go to the library and listen to podcasts, that way I'm not tempted to procrastinate at home while not attending lecture.

You should at least try this method. You can increase the speed of the lectures (and get more proficient at it over time), and you can pause/write things down/look things up. It obviously doesn't work for everyone, but it works amazingly for me.

This is what I do except I can stay at home and do work there. Honestly, I intended to go to class after my first block, but it's a waste of time for me. I try to go to class once in a while to reconnect with classmates and whatnot. It can get really lonely to just podcast thou🙁

 

[seminoma]

I like to go to classes to force myself to get up in the morning and make sure that I've at least been exposed to the lectures for that day once and also just in case the recording ends up not running smoothly.

I usually sit up front, but sometimes the lecturers talk too quickly or are incredibly boring. I've tried taking notes, but if the lecturer moves too quickly, then I end up getting very little down and not following too well. I'm just wondering what strategies some of you guys find helpful while listening to a lecture in class.

Also, I'm an MSI, we're starting our neuro theme Monday.

Do you have lecture transcripts/notes/slides/other equivalent? If yes, stop going to class and read the rest of this post. If no, then stop reading and keep going to class.

Regardless of the reason, it sounds like you are unable to actually write down or even follow the bulk of what a professor says in class. You say you go to class in part because you are worried that the lectures might not get recorded. So here are two scenarios for you to consider:

1. You go to class like usual, get nothing out of it, then go home and watch the recording.
2. You skip class, do whatever you feel like (sleep, study, workout, whatever), then watch the recording.

In either scenario the recordings could fail and now you have no audio lectures. However, in scenario #2 you at least got the benefit of sleeping, studying, working out, etc and you can just read through the lecture transcript. In scenario #1 all you gain is a bunch of wasted time sitting in the lecture hall.

Sure you might miss a handful of "high yields" that the teacher says but doesn't write in the transcript, but think about how much more studying you can do in the 3-5 hours you are no longer wasting by sitting in the lecture hall just so you don't miss that handful of facts. I can learn way more studying on my own in those 3-5 hours and watching the lectures later on 2-3x speed; I'm sure you can too. 99.99% of the time any important information will be in multiple resources (otherwise it isn't important). So logic tells us that you're really just sitting in class to hopefully gain access to that 0.001% information in the (rare) event that your lecture recordings might fail.

 

[Mad Jack]

It sounds like you are going in without a strong foundation on the material. If you're not reading up on the week's topics beforehand, lecture is pointless. This leaves your two choices as either

Read over the weekend and attend lectures during the week.

Read during the week and watch the recorded lectures after you finish your readings.

 

[Doctor Strange]

We get a printed syllabus which is, for the most part, followed religiously by the lecturers and coincides with their presentations. I go to class to highlight important points stressed by the lecturer and add any additional notes in the margins. I then distill that all into Anki cards and repeat for all lectures. Going to class helps me stay focused on the material, and it's a great way to catch up with classmates during breaks between lectures.

 

[TheShaker]

OP probably goes to class to force himself/herself to keep on track with the material. In terms of motivation, waking up to go to class is way different than waking up to go to the library.

That said, I don't go to class. What I do to keep pace with x2.5 speed video lectures though is preview the material on my own before sitting through the lecture. Aim to fully understand as much of the material as you can before attending class, so that your live lecture is more of a 'fill in the blanks' than a 'please tell me wtf is going on here' scenario.

Also, don't sit in the front row. That's just weird.

How does 2.5x speed not sound like gibberish to you? How fast do you have type to even follow along?

 

[seminoma]

How does 2.5x speed not sound like gibberish to you? How fast do you have type to even follow along?

Not the person you quote, but I just mark things on the lecture transcript and pause (to write) if necessary. Typically it takes me ~40 minutes to go through a 1hr lecture on 2-2.5 speed because of all the pausing. Still faster than 1x speed and I don't lose focus or fall asleep because of how slow the teacher is speaking.

 

[Jabbed]

How does 2.5x speed not sound like gibberish to you? How fast do you have type to even follow along?

Pre-reading makes all the difference as you're subconsciously anticipating whatever the professor is about to say. I type ~100 wpm, which is technically fast but probably closer to average if you were born after 1980. Honestly though, it's all about the quality of your video player: x1.6 is gibberish on a bad player and x3 is crystal clear on a good one.

FWIW I'm using PotPlayer-- highly recommend it.

 

[TheShaker]

Pre-reading makes all the difference as you're subconsciously anticipating whatever the professor is about to say. I type ~100 wpm, which is technically fast but probably closer to average if you were born after 1980. Honestly though, it's all about the quality of your video player: x1.6 is gibberish on a bad player and x3 is crystal clear on a good one.

FWIW I'm using PotPlayer-- highly recommend it.

Does that program require that you download the video file or does it work with streaming from a browser too? My school doesn't look kindly on us downloading our lectures...

 

[Jabbed]

Does that program require that you download the video file or does it work with streaming from a browser too? My school doesn't look kindly on us downloading our lectures...

It requires a local file. I use a Chrome extension (FVD Downloader) to download the video stream. What do you mean by: "My school doesn't look kindly on us downloading our lectures"?

 

[mcloaf]

Does that program require that you download the video file or does it work with streaming from a browser too? My school doesn't look kindly on us downloading our lectures...

What? **** them, you're the one paying for it you can and should download it if you want to. Just don't redistribute it (I'm assuming this is their concern, though the idea of most medical school lecturers' material being marketable is laughable).

 

[Jabbed]

What? **** them, you're the one paying for it you can and should download it if you want to. Just don't redistribute it (I'm assuming this is their concern, though the idea of most medical school lecturers' material being marketable is laughable).

TBH I'm so curious to see what lectures are like at Hopkins/Harvard.

 

[circulus vitios]

What? **** them, you're the one paying for it you can and should download it if you want to. Just don't redistribute it (I'm assuming this is their concern, though the idea of most medical school lecturers' material being marketable is laughable).

World's ****tiest Lectures compilation?

 

[DermViser]

Does that program require that you download the video file or does it work with streaming from a browser too? My school doesn't look kindly on us downloading our lectures...

As if medical school basic science lectures are the most prized thing in medicine. By the time M4 rolls around we completely throw out or sell our textbooks, syllabi, powerpoint notes, etc. No one outside your medical school wants your school's lectures.