What Can I Expect in a College Lecture?
When you’re in high school you’re always told that college is different but, how so? College is definitely more rigorous than high school and you have to be a self-starter; a motivated person. Your professors are going to give you a syllabus at the beginning of the semester and this will outline what is expected of you as a student and will, usually, also explain what you’ll be doing over the course of the semester. Most of my professors have space in the syllabus for a week-by-week breakdown of what will be done, including due dates for assignments and quizzes/tests. Sometimes professors are nice enough to remind you about upcoming due dates, but a lot of times your professors are going to expect you to stay on top of things yourselves. In one of my classes this past semester we had a 15 page essay due 2 weeks before the end of the semester. This essay (and all of the instructions for the essay) were put into the syllabus and were posted online for us, but our professor did not ever actually mention the essay to us in class until a week before it was due.
Several of my classmates were stunned that we had such a large essay due so quickly and that this was the first time our professor had mentioned it. Luckily, I had already started on the essay because at the beginning of the semester I put all of our assignment due dates and test dates into my calendar and I looked at my calendar often to ensure I wasn’t missing anything (which, as someone with ADHD, is very easy for me). Though my classmates felt rushed at the end of the semester, I had already started on (and was almost finished with) my essay by the time they had started theirs. All of this is to say that as long as you don’t procrastinate and keep up with your assignments as they are due, you will be just fine and will be well-liked by your professors!
We have discussed the syllabus and the fact that you should get on top of your due dates at the beginning of the semester, but what else should you expect from a college course? Well, if you are in a face-to-face lecture then you can expect that your professor will most likely get up to the front of the room and give their lecture for the duration of the 1.5-3 hour class period. Professors are usually fine with you recording their lectures, as long as you ask their permission at the beginning of the semester. They usually post online any PowerPoint presentations used during the lecture so that you have access to that either during the actual lecture or after the lecture for you to go back and study.
Basically, your professor will probably begin each class with a small introduction and will usually discuss upcoming events, due dates, or other necessary information and will then jump right into their lecture. This usually begins on day one, after reading through the syllabus. I have had many a professor give homework on the very first day of classes because there is so much information packed into each and every course; so be ready to hit the ground running on the very first day and you’ll be great! This same pattern of small introduction at the beginning of class before jumping into the lecture will last the entire semester.
Classes may vary slightly, depending on what the course actually is, but usually assignments and reading will be done at home. Most professors request that you do the reading assignments before coming to class that way you can ask relevant questions during the lecture or get clarification in areas you were unsure of while doing your reading. Some tests are given online where you can take them at home while others are online but proctored (there is someone there watching the test-takers to ensure no cheating can be done) at the university. Of course there are still some paper exams given using Scantrons but I have found that my university does not tend to use those very often.
All in all, if you have been in a high school class or seen a college course on TV or in a movie you basically understand what to expect. Each course will have small differences that are necessary based on the content of the course, but overall the classes are similar to what you would probably expect. As long as you go into it with the attitude that you will pay attention, stay ahead of the game and avoid procrastination, and have a goal which keeps you motivated (like that job you’re gonna land once you graduate with your degree) then you’ve got what it takes to get through your college courses!
Of course, as always, leave a comment below with any questions you may have that I haven’t already posted! I am always happy to create one on a topic I haven’t yet covered.