The Student Room Group

Do students have to participate in lectures?

I do not really like answering questions in class, I prefer to sit silently and then leave silently.

What are lectures like? Can I just sit there with a dictotape and record what the lecturer is saying whilst i listen to my Ipod or sleep?

And if I did that on my first lecture, would I set a bad impression of myself (i.e. is it normal to do that as a student)?

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Reply 1
i think sleeping wouldnt be a good plan...especially in your first lecture, i dont even go to uni yet and i can tell you that!
Reply 2
You probably wont be answering questions in a lecture anyway. Seminars however, you will be expected to speak at some point.

Personally think that listening to your ipod or sleeping through a lecture is rather rude! Plus not all lecturers will allow their lectures to be recorded
Reply 3
you don't have to particiate. certain lecturers may call upon general class participation every now and again but its not a major feature. don't worry, they don't pick on people at random to answer questions. you just sit there and get talked at for the most parts. it's the seminars that you have to fear. yes, fear them.
vickytoria77
Plus not all lecturers will allow their lectures to be recorded


Yes, I heard some classmates object to it due to religious reasons. I can't think why, though. :confused:
Ollie87
it's the seminars that you have to fear. yes, fear them.


Is a seminar the same as an oral presentation? Or the same as a role play in front of the rest of the group? :redface:
What degree will you be doing that allows you to sit and passively contribute? In fact, only contributing in so much as you're making up the numbers?

You're paying thousands a year for an education - why not make use of it by asking questions which effectively tailor-make your education to you.
Reply 7
Andy Pipkin
Is a seminar the same as an oral presentation? Or the same as a role play in front of the rest of the group? :redface:

seminars are when you're in smaller groups than your normal lecture number.

So you'll be in a group of around 7-10 people and your tutor, in which you will discuss with everyone else the readings from the previous week or whatever reading you have done
Reply 8
Lectures you rarely do any speaking. Seminars you do very little as well, infact if you dont want to speak you probably wont have to.

in your tutorial groups you will have to input some things.

You would never get away with putting a tape on and sleeping though. I mean not just because its rude but because a lecturer is never going to be happy doing that
My lectures no one spoke except the lecturer, but then when we went into seminars we are expected to take control and talk discuss and argue areas. All my seminars every1 has been expected to talk, its funny really the lecturer tends to sit back and relax, usually messing with a phone lol, but yes talking lots of talking is expected in a seminar.

Op dont be scared about speaking, i never use to speak up in class even though i had loads of ideas or disagreements, but now flippin heck give me a arguement and people cant shut me up. My friends think its hilarious i can argue anyone out the room lol. You just have to find your confidence and go with the flow of things, it can be really fun, you have a good laugh about things at the end
Depends on the lecturer. The most I've ever had though is a lecturer asking up to about 5 or 6 quick questions that anyone could answer (or not) in the space of an hour.

That said, you will have to actually listen. I'd be right miffed if the person next to me was so rude as to sleep or put music on instead. You've turned up, you may as well actually get your brain in gear and take in what's being said. It'll make more sense when in combination with lecture notes and powerpoint presentations than if you just listened to a dictaphone later on. If you're there for a 9am lecture, you may as well make the most of it.

You're likely to be expected to participate in seminars mind. Again, the teaching style depends wholly on the tutor leading the seminar, but they're closer to a classroom style setting usually. In my experience though, university classes are geared more towards encouraging students to drive discussion. Some of my tutors get everyone to lead at least one seminar, so do all the prep for it and engage discussion. So you might want to get used to having a say and piping up with an opinion.
You only have to participate in a few lectures, and even then you can choose not to. If you're going to listen to your iPod or sleep just for the sake of it you may as well listen to your lecture though, it's just common sense. If you're too hungover/drunk to stay awake in your lectures fair enough, but there's no point sleeping through them for the sake of it, you'll remember the material much better if you pay attention.
Reply 12
i agree that if you're too hungover, there's no point in going and just sleeping through it. don't waste your time, just skip it. also with seminars, i'm always forced to contribute for some reason although i rarely do the reading - been thrown out of a few seminars in my time i can tell you. that's my new years resolution - do seminar reading for 3rd year. oh yes.
Reply 13
Andy Pipkin
I do not really like answering questions in class, I prefer to sit silently and then leave silently.

What are lectures like? Can I just sit there with a dictotape and record what the lecturer is saying whilst i listen to my Ipod or sleep?

And if I did that on my first lecture, would I set a bad impression of myself (i.e. is it normal to do that as a student)?



Sounds like a good use of ÂŁ6k a year, not to mention being hideously rude.
Gee, most people start off the year intending to be perfect students, and then gradually watch themselves slip into slackerdom. But you, you PLAN on sleeping through lectures before you've even got to uni... oh dear.

Why are you going to university? :confused:
It helps! I always went to mine, especially in final year.

Just anticipating my results now :rolleyes:

Roll on 2nd July, roll on.
more adventurous
Gee, most people start off the year intending to be perfect students, and then gradually watch themselves slip into slackerdom
Not necessarily, I was very much the opposite! I'm good now.

But in retrospect, that's prolly why it took me 4 and a half years to complete my degree lol.
Reply 17
Andy Pipkin
I do not really like answering questions in class, I prefer to sit silently and then leave silently.

What are lectures like? Can I just sit there with a dictotape and record what the lecturer is saying whilst i listen to my Ipod or sleep?

And if I did that on my first lecture, would I set a bad impression of myself (i.e. is it normal to do that as a student)?

If you don't plan on paying attention to the lecturer, then just don't turn up - lectures are in the most part non-compulsory.

As for being asked questions it really depends on the individual lecturer and to some extent what they're teaching. I've never been asked a question in a science lecture, except occasionally when lecturers conduct "put your hand up if..." polls, whilst one of our lecturers for Management loved to pick on people for about ten minutes, but not necessarily on a knowledge-basis but usually to demonstrate how people think about things and how they should, if you get my drift.
Andy Pipkin
I do not really like answering questions in class, I prefer to sit silently and then leave silently.

What are lectures like? Can I just sit there with a dictotape and record what the lecturer is saying whilst i listen to my Ipod or sleep?

And if I did that on my first lecture, would I set a bad impression of myself (i.e. is it normal to do that as a student)?


Unless you have a video camera as well, you will miss things on audio. I'm afraid there isn't really a good substitute for listening, looking and taking notes. As for interactivity that depends on the lecturer, some just talk at you others force you to think a bit and answer questions.
In most lectures, it's just the lecturer talking and the students listening and taking notes, but it does depend on the lecturer. I had a French grammar lecture this year where we had to do exercises and then the lecturer just randomly picked on people to give the answers- and there were about 120 of us! I also had a couple of lectures that felt more like seminars because they were either option modules that weren't particularly popular or compulsory modules that just didn't have that many students. Seminars follow on from the lectures, but you're in groups of about 10-15 and you're expected to discuss the points raised.

But to add to what some other people said, what the hell is the point of paying 3k a year to sleep or listen to your ipod?!! You might as well not bother going to a lecture if you're going to do that- it's a waste of time if you're going to have to listen to it later anyway, not to mention that some lecturers won't let you record them and even if they do, you might not get very good quality. If I saw someone doing that in a lecture, I'd think they were rude, lazy and wasting their time by being at uni, so yes, I'd say it would create a bad impression!