Not going to any lectures...is it such a bad thing?
Poll
How many of your lectures do you attend?
I was just wondering if I am the only one here who doesn't go to any of their lectures? I'm in my first year and in the first term I went to every single one of my lectures. However, I can honestly say that I wasn't learning anything.
What I do now is much more effective. I just look at the lecture slides in my own time and research anything I don't understand. I seem to be taking a lot more in now and feel a lot more confident about the examination period in the summer.
Does anyone else find this technique more effective or do most of you go to every single lecture?
I mean, I probably won't do this in the second year but it should be effective for the first year, right?
What I do now is much more effective. I just look at the lecture slides in my own time and research anything I don't understand. I seem to be taking a lot more in now and feel a lot more confident about the examination period in the summer.
Does anyone else find this technique more effective or do most of you go to every single lecture?
I mean, I probably won't do this in the second year but it should be effective for the first year, right?
(edited 11 years ago)
Scroll to see replies
In first year one of my classes had 9am lectures Tuesday, Thursday, Friday. Think I went to about 7 out of 30 lectures and finished with a B average/2:1 in that class at the end of the semester. It was easy then to just study the slides.
Now I'm in third year (out of 4) and I actually wouldn't dare miss that many lectures, I go pretty crazy if I miss just one due to snow or something. Everything is more complicated, the slides are empty so you pretty much rely on writing down everything the lecturers say... Blehh...
Posted from TSR Mobile
Now I'm in third year (out of 4) and I actually wouldn't dare miss that many lectures, I go pretty crazy if I miss just one due to snow or something. Everything is more complicated, the slides are empty so you pretty much rely on writing down everything the lecturers say... Blehh...
Posted from TSR Mobile
I go to all my lectures(except for a lecture at 9am on a Monday where the lecturer literally just reads out the slides, which are given out to us on a Friday so it's entirely pointless), but it's mostly because I would feel really guilty if I didn't and worry that I'd miss stuff. If you feel like skipping lectures works better for you, go for it.
Original post by LSD
In first year one of my classes had 9am lectures Tuesday, Thursday, Friday. Think I went to about 7 out of 30 lectures and finished with a B average/2:1 in that class at the end of the semester. It was easy then to just study the slides.
Now I'm in third year (out of 4) and I actually wouldn't dare miss that many lectures, I go pretty crazy if I miss just one due to snow or something. Everything is more complicated, the slides are empty so you pretty much rely on writing down everything the lecturers say... Blehh...
Posted from TSR Mobile
Now I'm in third year (out of 4) and I actually wouldn't dare miss that many lectures, I go pretty crazy if I miss just one due to snow or something. Everything is more complicated, the slides are empty so you pretty much rely on writing down everything the lecturers say... Blehh...
Posted from TSR Mobile
Yeah, I think I would go to more of my lectures if they were remotely interesting. And I am averaging a 2:1 in all subjects at the moment so I guess that's quite a good sign.
If you're lecturer just reads out slides and you can learn better at home don't you feel like your university is ripping you off slightly?
It's quite clear that there is no need for actual physical universities, as the open university/MIT/various ivy league unis have shown with their home-study courses.
One of my lecturers is quite happy to admit that he leaves critical information out of the slides made available to us online so we turn up in order for him to keep his job.
One of my lecturers is quite happy to admit that he leaves critical information out of the slides made available to us online so we turn up in order for him to keep his job.
Original post by therisenmitten
If you're lecturer just reads out slides and you can learn better at home don't you feel like your university is ripping you off slightly?
Yeah, of course I do. I think University fee's are ridiculous anyway.
How some lecturers get away with what they do is unbelievable.
There are some amazing lecturers out there but some are truly atrocious.
I feel awful if I miss even one lecture. I'm in first year. Our lectures are all incredibly practical, so if we miss one, we're missing out on a hell of a lot - plus, the majority of it is group work, so we're also letting down the rest of our group if we miss them. I feel really bad when I miss one lecture. I've been ill lately (anaemia) and feeling awful for missing so many lectures haha! I couldn't imagine being happy paying £9000 (even though I'm only paying under £4000 for mine) for no lectures at all!
Original post by slacker07906
Yeah, of course I do. I think University fee's are ridiculous anyway.
How some lecturers get away with what they do is unbelievable.
There are some amazing lecturers out there but some are truly atrocious.
How some lecturers get away with what they do is unbelievable.
There are some amazing lecturers out there but some are truly atrocious.
It's not really worth missing lectures for me because it takes about 3 hours to understand the content from a 1 hour lecture from just looking at the notes. My lecturers use slides sometimes, but mainly just for extra non-examinable things.
I do miss lectures sometimes, but normally for a reason.
Original post by spocckka
It's quite clear that there is no need for actual physical universities, as the open university/MIT/various ivy league unis have shown with their home-study courses.
One of my lecturers is quite happy to admit that he leaves critical information out of the slides made available to us online so we turn up in order for him to keep his job.
One of my lecturers is quite happy to admit that he leaves critical information out of the slides made available to us online so we turn up in order for him to keep his job.
This is really not true unless your university is actually awful.
What about tutorials? and lecturer office hours? or practical work? or experiment/group projects? also discussing ideas with other student?
For me it basically depended on the subject. Things like maths in my first year I always went to because it was a subject I struggled with and I found lectures useful, things like basic programming I'd done at college I skipped all of. Some lecturers basically said that if we were comfortable with subjects in the module they were teaching they wouldn't really care if we didn't turn up and that we should look over the notes/topic lists just to make sure.
Also a couple of lecturers didn't really make slides so had to turn up to those.
In general I turned up more in the 2nd/3rd years when stuff got harder.
Also a couple of lecturers didn't really make slides so had to turn up to those.
In general I turned up more in the 2nd/3rd years when stuff got harder.
Original post by slacker07906
I was just wondering if I am the only one here who doesn't go to any of their lectures? I'm in my first year and in the first term I went to every single one of my lectures. However, I can honestly say that I wasn't learning anything.
What I do now is much more effective. I just look at the lecture slides in my own time and research anything I don't understand. I seem to be taking a lot more in now and feel a lot more confident about the examination period in the summer.
Does anyone else find this technique more effective or do most of you go to every single lecture?
I mean, I probably won't do this in the second year but it should be effective for the first year, right?
What I do now is much more effective. I just look at the lecture slides in my own time and research anything I don't understand. I seem to be taking a lot more in now and feel a lot more confident about the examination period in the summer.
Does anyone else find this technique more effective or do most of you go to every single lecture?
I mean, I probably won't do this in the second year but it should be effective for the first year, right?
I was exactly like this at university as well. In the first term of the first year, I turned up to most of the lectures, but just realised there was so little point, because I did all my actual learning in my own time - reading the notes, practicing questions etc. (I was studying Maths).
The lectures went way too fast for me to actually focus on and understand what was going on. It was more just a mad rush to copy down everything to professor wrote on the board - which wasn't necessary anyway, as the pdf notes would always end up online. Or if they didn't, a friend of mine who used to take really good notes would kindly let me photocopy his.
For me, there was absolutely no correlation between the marks I was getting in exams, and the frequency with which I attended lectures. So if that method works, I'd say go for it. (Though there might be a minimum percentage of lectures that you have to go to, in order to be allowed to take the final exam, so just make sure you fulfil any of those kinds of requirements.)
With me it varies. I'm doing law and our contract lecturer is great, he expands on the points really well and I feel I really understand the area and have a good set of notes when I leave his lectures. On the other hand the lecturer for criminal evidence reads out the slides in a very quiet monotone voice (his slides are also pretty much word-for-word copies of his 'recommended textbook' too) so I don't get anything out of them that I don't get from just getting the slides from the learning portal.
If you're going to miss lectures just make sure they are ones you don't find useful and that you're not just skipping the ones at 9am, for example. I'd also always attend the first few lectures at least of each area before deciding they're definitely useless as it may just be they're not expanding because they're introducing the subject slowly. Also make sure you do actually get the slides and make your notes of course.
If you're going to miss lectures just make sure they are ones you don't find useful and that you're not just skipping the ones at 9am, for example. I'd also always attend the first few lectures at least of each area before deciding they're definitely useless as it may just be they're not expanding because they're introducing the subject slowly. Also make sure you do actually get the slides and make your notes of course.
I just find it difficult to concentrate when there are a lot of people in the same room. Always have - small classes work amazingly which is why I try to attend all the workshops/seminars which do teach something.
Only one of my lectures is really worth attending and is actually bearable to sit through, and they put that one up on Livestream anyway so I just tend to watch it from home.
The way I see it, we're just paying for the degree and the exams and good lecturers may or may not be provided.
Only one of my lectures is really worth attending and is actually bearable to sit through, and they put that one up on Livestream anyway so I just tend to watch it from home.
Original post by therisenmitten
If you're lecturer just reads out slides and you can learn better at home don't you feel like your university is ripping you off slightly?
The way I see it, we're just paying for the degree and the exams and good lecturers may or may not be provided.
(edited 11 years ago)
I went to maybe 3 lectures last term out of who knows how many. Granted, I am severely depressed and spent most days not wanting to leave my room, but still.
Luckily all mine get recorded, so I can catch up online and have been doing so over the easter holidays.
I don't really regret not going, but I am going to try and attend them next term as I want to get the uni experience and don't want my 9000k a year to be a waste!
Luckily all mine get recorded, so I can catch up online and have been doing so over the easter holidays.
I don't really regret not going, but I am going to try and attend them next term as I want to get the uni experience and don't want my 9000k a year to be a waste!
I can honestly say...I do not attend.
Though like others, I'm a note fiend and I revise and read the recommended text-books etc every night.
On an unrelated note, I have a friend in Durham would just find out when lectures he was interested in were on from friends who studied(all three years) then just attended them.
He wasn't a student....enjoyed tipping up for Theology and Philosophy though.
Though like others, I'm a note fiend and I revise and read the recommended text-books etc every night.
On an unrelated note, I have a friend in Durham would just find out when lectures he was interested in were on from friends who studied(all three years) then just attended them.
He wasn't a student....enjoyed tipping up for Theology and Philosophy though.
(edited 11 years ago)
Original post by slacker07906
I was just wondering if I am the only one here who doesn't go to any of their lectures? I'm in my first year and in the first term I went to every single one of my lectures. However, I can honestly say that I wasn't learning anything.
What I do now is much more effective. I just look at the lecture slides in my own time and research anything I don't understand. I seem to be taking a lot more in now and feel a lot more confident about the examination period in the summer.
Does anyone else find this technique more effective or do most of you go to every single lecture?
I mean, I probably won't do this in the second year but it should be effective for the first year, right?
What I do now is much more effective. I just look at the lecture slides in my own time and research anything I don't understand. I seem to be taking a lot more in now and feel a lot more confident about the examination period in the summer.
Does anyone else find this technique more effective or do most of you go to every single lecture?
I mean, I probably won't do this in the second year but it should be effective for the first year, right?
i missed a few lectures and now i'm working to clear a backlog!
Original post by therisenmitten
This is really not true unless your university is actually awful.
What about tutorials? and lecturer office hours? or practical work? or experiment/group projects? also discussing ideas with other student?
What about tutorials? and lecturer office hours? or practical work? or experiment/group projects? also discussing ideas with other student?
I go to a good uni by most standards. Out of what you suggested only practical labs help, out of a 26 hour week for that's 3 hours...
Quick Reply
Related discussions
- KCL biosciences - common year one
- Aston vs Wolverhampton, which is better?
- Leeds and Bristol Biochemistry
- making notes is taking too long and i'm already behind!!!
- Uni Exeter international students attendance warning
- Business at Royal Holloway
- Is Essex a good university? Current students' experiences?
- UCL Civil Engineering Applicants 2019 Entry
- idk what university to go to
- dentistry is too hard
- Queen mary (QMUL) biologist graduate- ask me anything (AMA)
- University Attandance
- KCL: teaching quality, facilities, career services, legal clinic
- Imperial Chemistry department 2022 - biggest scam in history of higher education???
- Road to a 2:1 - 2nd year maths GYG
- Attendance at uni?
- Overwhelmed
- Are you still doing online lectures?
- i made such a silly mistake I don’t know what’s wrong with me
- imperial global summer school
Latest
Trending
Last reply 2 days ago
If you could instantly become fluent in any foreign language which one would it be?Last reply 3 months ago
About the NCUK IFY Program for university Studies in the UKTrending
Last reply 2 days ago
If you could instantly become fluent in any foreign language which one would it be?Last reply 3 months ago
About the NCUK IFY Program for university Studies in the UK
