Should I go to the lectures?

[Guyton Killah]

• I am not one of those students who are always jotting down notes during lectures.
• I feel like time wasted at lectures could be utilized for something else
• I go to the lectures just because everyone is going
• I like my course

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[rock_climber]

Why are you asking us? Sounds like you already know the answer.

 

[Sol Rosenberg]

Yup, you're a big boy now -- no one is forcing you to go 🙂

(I almost never go to lecture, feel almost exactly the way you do, am doing well, and have no regrets.)

 

[SoCuteMD]

I rarely went. Best decision I ever made!

 

[Bcblazer]

I'm also curious about whether y'all who don't go to class often feel like you're out of the loop from other students. I don't think attending class will be an efficient use of my time, but I would also like to get to know my classmates.

 

[SoCuteMD]

For those of you who don't go, did you also not go as an undergrad? I don't know that I would have succeeded if I had skipped classes. I guess it depends on the lecture/course/teaching & test style?

I never skipped in undergrad. Also, I studied my butt off in med school - I just didn't go to class.

 

[Tiger26]

Also one of the best decisions I've ever made was not to go to lecture.

Your step 1 score will be worth it (as long as you study your tail off, of course)

 

[utorontograd]

If you have access to recorded lectures at your school then you're not
missing anything - not even if you speed up the lectures. In fact, I found
that my comprehension of the material actually increased because I wasn't
falling asleep.

If I didn't have recorded lectures, then I don't know if I would attend class or
not. Probably not since I love being in control of my daily schedule too much.

Aren't there some sessions at your school that you have to attend, like
dissection or PBL? If so, you won't be totally isolated. You can study at the
library and socialize on breaks. Also, you won't ever have to miss
a social event on the weekend since you'll always be caught up.

Test it and see if it's the right approach for you OP.

 

[JasonS]

Depends on how you learn. I only attend the mandatory labs, but never go to lectures because I retain things better if I read them. I'm not an audio learner. I have friends that do the exact opposite. Depends.

 

[SouthernSurgeon]

Also one of the best decisions I've ever made was not to go to lecture.

Your step 1 score will be worth it (as long as you study your tail off, of course)

I went to nearly every lecture, and my step 1 score was just fine, thanks.

I don't really care if people skip lecture - you have to be cognizant of how you learn best, and I realize that some people just don't pick up much from it (like the days when I was too wiped and brought my laptop and looked at ESPN...probly should have skipped those classes); but the tendency of people to equate skipping to success is kind of silly. You succeed because you work hard, regardless of whether you go to class or not.

 

[physics junkie]

I never went to lecture in undergrad. At first I didn't get anything out of them...now I read the texts for all my classes the sunday prior so lecture is just a nice way to review without effort.

 

[thechad]

Why are you asking us? Sounds like you already know the answer.

...because he obviously needs attention...

 

[Guyton Killah]

Y'all people have to understand that this aint a simple decision to make. I am talking about 6 hrs per day at lectures. Thats the precious amount of time that can be used to transfer info into long term memo. So, I'll still have to sit down and consider the prons and cons. I appreciate your assistance guys.

 

[Guyton Killah]

Why are you asking us? Sounds like you already know the answer.

...because he obviously needs attention...

Rock Climber and Chad, wats up with you guys?

 

[KnuxNole]

I find that going to class is a waste to me, considering I am a poor passive learner. I can't learn info with a large group, only with myself or 1-2 other people. I guess it depends on how you learn. And I doubt you would be missing out socially by not going to class. I don't socialize when I end up going to class anyway due to the fact that my sleepiness just causes me to slip to the back and watch the lecture.

 

[Mortal_Lessons]

Professionalism.

 

[Wants2give]

Heres a simple answer to your question...

Can you read faster than your professor can speak?
Lets hope so...

Problem solved.

😱😎😀😀😀

 

[LifetimeDoc]

After almost completing my second year, I can answer this...

1. Don't goto lecture unless you are required to go. You are wasting your time and energy.
2. Review the slides and notes the professor gives you to know the minute details they want you to know.
3. Read First Aid (mostly for 2nd year students) and know the information there at a minimum both for your exams (good for summarising the information) and for the boards.
4. Make review sheets (better yet, get old ones from previous students to serve as a template for your own)
5. Study the review sheets every day.
6. Did I say DON'T GOTO LECTURE?

Anecdotally: of the 90% of my class that doesn't goto class, they tend to get better grades. Of the people that do goto class, many of them have the lower grades.

 

[tabula0rasa]

I'm one of those students who regularly go to lecture and I can tell you that most of the time, it does feel like a waste. But if you have a good teacher that is interesting and concise, going does have its advantage. Last semester, I tried not going to lecture and I found a sh**load of time on my hand. So what did I do? I procrastinated by watching TV all day and trading stock online. The result: Lost $4k and did pretty poorly on exams.

I commend those of you who are able to find all that time and used them wisely. I'm sure I could have done very well in class last semester if I spent my time studying review books (e.i. first aids) instead of studying stock trends.

 

[SxRx]

Here's my 2 cents.
1) It really depends on how you learn best. Some people like the flexibility of studying on their own. If your school has recorded lectures/video lectures, you likely don't need to goto classes.
2) If your school doesn't have recorded lectures or you don't think you'll listen to all the recordings, I'd say you may be sacrificing a few higher grades here and there.
Why? The reason I go to all the classes is because I've found that about half of our professors mention things that will be on the exam or material not on our power points during lectures. Unless you are brilliant and will not miss many questions from written notes and will only miss questions from the stuff only mentioned in lecture since you don't go to classes, you may end up getting a lower grade. I can think of numerous people who I feel that would have gotten A's on exams and missed A's by 3-5 questions per test because they missed questions pertaining to material only mentioned in lecture/not on pwr pt or questions professors strongly emphasized (hinting they'll be on the exam). Without coming to classes and just by reading notes, you don't get this type of info.


Good luck!

 

[Turtle01]

I agree with the above poster, do it if you find it works for you. I actually just posted some thoughts on lecture attendance on my blog, if you want to take a look.

 

[pathill]

I attend lectures if I know that the class I am attending to will be very useful and I will learn a lot from it. But when I know it will just be a complete waste of time and if the lecturer is a bore, I'd best skip it. 😛

 

[Law2Doc]

Heres a simple answer to your question...

Can you read faster than your professor can speak?
Lets hope so...

Problem solved.

😱😎😀😀😀

That's only the right analysis for some. For others, it's "can you wake up in the morning and actually get stuff accomplished each day without someplace to 'go' each day". For about half the people, it makes sense to skip lecture. For the rest, it doesn't. If you are a self starter who will get a lot accomplished during those hours you would be in lecture, then by all means do so. If instead, you use that as a license to goof off more hours per day, sleep in, etc, then you probably shouldn't. I know a number of people who stopped going to class and saw their grades plummet, until they returned, because they needed that impetus to at least be "hearing" the info once each day before studying, rather than goofing off. So know yourself. If you are the type of person who will get up and go to the library and work without any distractions each day, then you probably can get more accomplished by not going to class. If instead, you are going to sleep in, watch TV, talk on the phone, go to the gym, take "study breaks" 30 times a day etc., then go to class -- you will at least get some exposure to the material. Try pre-reading before attending, it makes you more engaged if you already have some familiarity with the material.

Med school is about figuring out what works for you. Nobody on this thread should suggest you will do better by not going to class. Some will do better, many will not. Just like group study doesn't work for everyone, flash cards don't work for everyone, and so on. The smartest thing you can do in med school is stop looking at anyone else's plate but your own.

 

[Depakote]

That's only the right analysis for some. For others, it's "can you wake up in the morning and actually get stuff accomplished each day without someplace to 'go' each day". For about half the people, it makes sense to skip lecture. For the rest, it doesn't. If you are a self starter who will get a lot accomplished during those hours you would be in lecture, then by all means do so. If instead, you use that as a license to goof off more hours per day, sleep in, etc, then you probably shouldn't. I know a number of people who stopped going to class and saw their grades plummet, until they returned, because they needed that impetus to at least be "hearing" the info once each day before studying, rather than goofing off. So know yourself. If you are the type of person who will get up and go to the library and work without any distractions each day, then you probably can get more accomplished by not going to class. If instead, you are going to sleep in, watch TV, talk on the phone, go to the gym, take "study breaks" 30 times a day etc., then go to class -- you will at least get some exposure to the material. Try pre-reading before attending, it makes you more engaged if you already have some familiarity with the material.

Med school is about figuring out what works for you. Nobody on this thread should suggest you will do better by not going to class. Some will do better, many will not. Just like group study doesn't work for everyone, flash cards don't work for everyone, and so on. The smartest thing you can do in med school is stop looking at anyone else's plate but your own.

Agreed. I'm more effective when studying on my own, but that's not what I'd be doing if I were left to my own devices between 8am-12pm. So I go to class and get a good once over the material, then hit the books again after lecture for the high efficiency stuff.

 

[Jolie South]

Agreed. I'm more effective when studying on my own, but that's not what I'd be doing if I were left to my own devices between 8am-12pm. So I go to class and get a good once over the material, then hit the books again after lecture for the high efficiency stuff.

definitely agree with this. i would sleep otherwise.

that first pass through the material sucks and going to class forces me to do it without taking breaks every 20 minutes.

 

[Caboose]

Most of my classes have been worth it, but some instructors have been pretty lame. I go once in a while because I feel bad or the instructor, then I confirm that I can't fully concentrate on other things when someone is lecturing and I'm pretending to listen. Anatomy - not so much: "Here's a leg... on the leg there are some bones and muscles...." Not as helpful as a Mcminns. If it's memorization like that, I don't learn from someone talking at me.

On the other hand, skipping too much class makes me feel out of control. I miss the "for those of you who are here today, here's some important information for tests" and clinical stories that bring the point home. Last week was horrid because I skipped most classes for other school related boggles and had them recorded... only the person who recorded them didn't do it right and now I'm stuck not knowing what is going on. Thus I have 12 books open on my desk feeling like it would be really nice to hear a lecture hold my hand through some of this content.

If you can, maybe have a friend record it off their laptop during class, skip to the library and see how you use your time. If you found yourself surfing online or staring out the window, I'd listen to the lecture that night and reconsider.

My institution is currently all miffed about people skipping classes because they do so and fail. Gives the rest of us skippers bad raps... although I can think of a few diagnostic classes I wouldn't dare skip on a regular basis.

Caboose.

 

[Random Anesthesiologist]

I do not go to the classes where the instructor basically reads the slide to you and provides the PPTs before class and/or podcast of class. That's pretty much all my classes this spring LOL.

 

[WellWornLad]

Ya know, it's not an all-or-nothing decision. You can go to some lectures and skip others. I wouldn't miss immunology because I had tons of questions to ask, but anatomy lectures were useless (honestly, sitting down with Netter's is about 3-5x more productive than listening to someone point out structures for two hours).

 

[penisclaw]

I went to every lecture in undergrad.
I went to every lecture in med school up til this block (started in Janurary).
As of this block I decided not to attend lecture because I realized a few things attending lectures previously:
1) I am really tired early in the morning so it's hard for me to focus on the lecture
2) Having a lecturer ramble on about details when I don't even know the basic concepts isn't much help
3) That is 2-3 hours I can spend actually learning the material

How I do it now is I sleep in a bit longer and then when I wake up I read the syllabus/book chapters relating to that days lectures. When class is over the course director posts the powerpoints and audio recordings online. I go over the powerpoint along with the syllabus/book again. Once I feel like I've got a decent understanding of the material I will listen to the audio of the lecture to pick up anything I may have missed or that the lecturer really emphasized.

So far my grades on tests have been as good as or better than when I went to lecture. I am confident I have a better understanding of the material this way.

 

[badasshairday]

OP, just stay at home and kill the Guyton book, you will be better off.

 

[DocPsychosis]

Rock Climber and Chad, wats up with you guys?

Haven't we been seeing these same boring repetitive attention-whoring threads over and over again? What sort of personal validation do you need from SDN?

 

[Guyton Killah]

psychosis

 

[sprinkibrio]

Anecdotally: of the 90% of my class that doesn't goto class, they tend to get better grades. Of the people that do goto class, many of them have the lower grades.

That's interesting... at my school it is the opposite.

I sit in class 3-4 hrs a day. I sit with friends but don't let them talk to me. I read before lecture so I know what is going on. The professors love to say exactly what is important to know, so I focus on that more... lo and behond it is on the test. I hear the lovely voices of my professors in my head when I'm taking tests. I can use their reasoning on those questions with two seemingly equally good answers. When you have good time management fitting class into your schedule becomes simple. It helps you get up in the morning, it places you within 100 ft of the library, it surrounds you with people who are working equally hard (as opposed to the girls of the Bad Girls Club on TV), and there is no way to cover as much high yeild material in an hour than from an expert.

But if you're not an oral learner, sleep/play/talk in class, and don't pre-read you'd better stay at home.

I want to include an example of the use of lecture because I can't believe there are people out there who don't at least listen to the lecture recordings: There are 5-6 side effects of phenytoin. Our professor went through all of them, all of them were on the slide, but very subtly he mentioned he finds gigival hyperplasia an important side effect. I decided to memorize it as opposed to the other side effects and it was on the test. These aren't the kinds of things your class-going friends are going to tell you are important, and most class-going people don't even notice them. When you recognize that there are only going to be 3 or so questions on each lecture on the test you begin to try to pull the three most testable items from the lecturer and mostly study those. I think that's VERY time-saving and give me more time for board study.

 

[DoctorPardi]

My school requires we go to 70 to 80% of lectures depending on the module. I never go to any less than 70 or 80%.

If I pay attention in class studying the script/powerpoint the next day is much quicker and easier and I know the material better after one run through. If I don't pay attention but am in lecture, the script is STILL easier to study than if I didn't go at all.

For me I don't have a decision I have to go, so I should use that time and pay attention but I don't probably half the time. If I had the choice I would probably go to 40-60% of classes a week and maybe less on test weeks.

If you are not required to go, then only go if you are really going to pay attention. Don't get out a computer or cell phone, just sit there with a note pad or printed power point slides and pay attention and take notes. For me I would definitely benefit more from sleeping until 9am and making the 10am and 11am lecture than waking up at 7 to make all the lectures for the day.

 

[Diablo2fan]

Don't go only if you have a friend that attends lecture that is willing to relay info to you. My professors usually have specific details/charts/tables that they want memorized in the book, and one instructor prints out various medical articles from journals and wants us to learn the "new information" since our text books are "5-6 years out of date" (even though they were printed in 2005-07)

 

[sarann99]

Enjoy skipping class while you can!!!!

It sucks being in rotations and being obligated to stay when it's just as useless as class was...

...those were the days....

 

[gman33]

So, I'm thinking about not going to class anymore.
It's the end of my first year and so far I've attended all my lectures.

I feel like I would be better served just reading the notes, etc, but I'm a little afraid to cut the cord.
Motivation is not a factor; I'll put in time regardless.
I think I could get more done in less time by not going to class.

We have everything available online anyway.
My plan is to read the notes/PP and then just use the audio if there is a topic I don't understand.

Anyone use a similar approach?
If so, did it help or hurt?

Maybe I should just keep going, but I've been pretty much spending all my waking hours in class or studying. Even just gettting rid of my commute time would be a relief.

 

[bydotte]

i went to every class the first 2 years and don't regret it at all. the top few people in my class all go to almost every lecture. what you get out of lecture (that isn't in the book) is tidbits. you can't get tidbits from reading a medical textbook for 3 hrs straight.