How to be a better listener in class

It is important for you to be a good listener in class. Much of what you will have to learn will be presented verbally by your teachers. Just hearing what your teachers say is not the same as listening to what they say. Listening is a cognitive (mental) act that requires you to pay attention and think about and mentally process what you hear.

Here are some things you should do to be a good listener in class.

• Be mentally Ready to Listen When You Come to Class. Make sure you complete all assigned work and readings. Review your notes from previous class sessions. Think about what you know about the topic that will be covered in class that day.

• Be Emotionally Ready to Listen When You Come to Class. Your attitude is important. Make a conscious choice to find the topic useful and interesting. Be committed to learning all that you can.

• Listen with a Purpose. Identify what you expect and hope to learn from the class session. Listen for these things as your teacher talks.

• Listen with an Open Mind. Be receptive to what your teacher says. It is good to question what is said as long as you remain open to points of view other than your own.

• Be Attentive. Focus on what your teacher is saying. Try not to daydream and let your mind wander to other things. It helps to sit in the front and center of the class, and to maintain eye contact with your teacher.

• Be an Active Listener. You can think faster than your teacher can speak. Use this to your advantage by evaluating what is being said and trying to anticipate what will be said next. Take good written notes about what your teacher says. While you can think faster than your teacher can speak, you cannot write faster than your teacher can speak. Taking notes requires you to make decisions about what to write, and you have to be an active listener to do this.

• ·    Be other-directed; focus on the person communicating

•         Follow and understand the speaker as if you were walking in their shoes

•          Listen with your ears but also with your eyes and other senses

• ·    Be aware: non-verbally acknowledge points in the speech

•          Let the argument or presentation run its course

•          Don't agree or disagree, but encourage the train of thought

• ·    Be involved:

•       Actively respond to questions and directions

•       Use your body position (e.g. lean forward) and attention to encourage the speaker and signal your  

•        interest

• Meet the Challenge. Don't give up and stop listening when you find the information being presented difficult to understand. Listen even more carefully at these times and work hard to understand what is being said. Don't be reluctant to ask questions.

• Triumph Over the Environment. The classroom may too noisy, too hot, too cold, too bright, or too dark. Don't give in to these inconveniences. Stay focused on the big picture - LEARNING

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You can prepare yourself to succeed in your studies.

Try to develop and appreciate the following habits:

• Take responsibility for yourself. Recognize that in order to succeed you need to make decisions about your priorities, your time, and your resources

• Center yourself around your values and principles. Don't let friends and acquaintances dictate what you consider important

• Put first things first. Follow up on the priorities you have set for yourself, and don't let others, or other interests, distract you from your goals

• Discover your key productivity periods and places. Morning, afternoon, or evening?  Find spaces where you can be the most focused and productive.Prioritize these for your most difficult study challenges

• Consider yourself in a win-win situation. When you contribute your best to a class, you, your fellow students, and even your teacher will benefit. Your grade can then be one additional check on your performance

• First understand others, then attempt to be understood. When you have an issue with an instructor (a questionable grade, an assignment deadline, etc.) put yourself in the instructor's place. Now ask yourself how you can best make your argument given his/her situation

• Look for better solutions to problems. For example, if you don't understand the course material, don't just re-read it. 

Try something else! Consult with the professor, a tutor, an academic advisor, a classmate, a study group, or your school's study skills center

Look to continually challenge yourself

Partially adapted from the audio cassette by Steven Covey,  

Seven Habits of Highly Effective People