Top 10 ways students can be active learners

From Freshman Orientation presentation: Summer, 2000

1. Ask the professor to clarify material you don’t understand

  • despite their many talents, professors cannot read minds!

2. Attend class

  • many professors don’t just go over the text chapter by chapter--students can do that on their own time
  • instead, class time is spent exploring material in-depth, or conducting group exercises to help students think about the material in different ways

3. Keep in mind that professors are approachable people

  • it’s ok to stop by office hours just to say you thought something in class was really interesting
  • professors like to talk about the subjects they are teaching--we devote our lives to this stuff!
4. Spend time thinking in class, don’t just write down the lecture notes
  • listen to the examples; think about them; write them down
  • it’s often the information that moves beyond the textbook that will help you succeed on an exam

5. Read your paper aloud before you turn it in; have someone else read it

  • spending an hour or two proofreading your writing will pay off

6. Check the syllabus regularly or make your own schedule of due dates

  • a bit of organization will go a long way

7. Jump into the semester, don’t sit idly by

  • don’t skip class the first few weeks since you think the professor will ease into the semester…we have lots to cover, so we have to get down to business immediately

8. Ask other students about good classes/good professors

9. Feel free to explore a range of topics your first two years

  • don’t panic if you haven’t picked a major your first year!

10. Active learning isn’t isolated to the classroom...Become part of the intellectual life in Iowa City

  • sit and read a book at the Java House
  • attend a poetry reading at Prairie Lights

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