People who say they can't remember what they learned in particular classes are often those who simply memorize information without questioning it or truly thinking about it. They've committed the knowledge they gain to short-term memory, which is lost soon after (if not before) the final exam. In contrast, when you become interested in a topic and question why things are as they are, you not only learn more about it, but retain this knowledge much longer.
Just as important, you'll enjoy your education more by being an active participant. It may seem like the easy way through college to walk into your classrooms, hide in the back, keep your mouth and mind shut, and do the least work that you possibly can to get by with a decent grade. Actually, this is the hard way through college, because going to classes becomes drudgery and you'll tend to either rush through your assignments the night before they are due or forget to do them at all. Students who do this look for excuses to avoid attending classes and gain virtually nothing from their assignments but an intense dislike of their academic responsibilities. This negative behavior pattern too often is carried over into one's work career. This is definitely not the easy, nor the enjoyable way to get through college.
There are specific things that you can do in order to enjoy and benefit from college classes. But you must choose to do these things; they won't happen on their own.
Set Goals: Set long-term general goals for yourself as well as short-term specific goals. Don't just take a course because it is required or because it fits into your schedule. Decide at the beginning what you want to gain from it. Decide before you begin a class project or even an assigned reading what you want to gain from it. (Reading the title and scanning the section and paragraph headings help to provide an idea of what you should get from the article or chapter.) Write your goal on a piece of paper and then after the task is completed, check to see that your goal was accomplished. Setting goals and keeping them in mind helps to keep you alert and alive to what you are doing; it also helps you avoid wasting time. The examples cited here should give you an idea of how simple-yet worthwhile-goal-setting can be:
- Goal for a GE course on Computers and Society: To see if I have the interest and ability to take a major in computer science.
- Goal for a course in conversational Spanish: Learn to speak Spanish well enough to carry on a one-hour conversation with a Spanish-speaking person who doesn't know English so I can travel in Spain or South America.
- Goal for a Sociology term paper: To find out, how many college basketball coaches at major universities during the past 10 years have earned a master's degree? (Part of a larger goal: to explore the occupation of college coach.)
If you don't involve yourself, you run the risk of making yourself an outsider among other college students.
What you read should also be questioned. The author of a book or article you've read may not often be available to you, but a professor knowledgeable in that area (who likely assigned the reading in the first place) is available. One of the best, most valuable parts of a college education is the constant give-and-take among faculty and students on the assigned readings and on reading matter in general.
When you question professors and other students, do so as a genuinely inquisitive person, who may see things a little differently. Don't question other people's beliefs or perceptions in an aggressive, challenging way. We are all more or less emotionally attached to many of the beliefs we hold and probably won't respond well to someone who comes at us as if we were wrong or stupid. On the other hand, we are more likely to give a thoughtful response to someone who approaches us wanting to know more about why we believe what we do, even if he or she disagrees.
Open Your Mind To Learning All The Time: Learning habits, like athletic habits, generate their own momentum. A well-trained athlete enjoys training and finds it easy to continue training. A poorly trained athlete, especially one who cuts corners, considers training to be drudgery and finds excuses to avoid it. The same patterns apply to learning.
Does this mean that you have to crack books all the time? NO! It simply means you should also consider the time you spend outside of class and away from assigned readings to be valuable learning time. The content of all classes, from Quantum Physics to Business Law to English 1A, has an application in the real world. Archimedes discovered the Law of Specific Gravity while watching the water being displaced as he sat in his bathtub. This is a classic example of learning in a setting different from the environment where you expect to learn (the classroom, the laboratory, etc.).
Work at Making Yourself Understood: If you don't know what you are saying, no one else will. People who fill their sentences with several "You knows" may be copping extra time to gather their thoughts, but they are also sending a signal to their listener which really says, "I hope you understand what I can't say very well."
No one is expected to know all things. But we all can improve the way we communicate what we do or don't know. Keep a dictionary handy whenever you study, read, or write. It's even a good practice to take a pocket dictionary to class, so you can quickly define words you aren't sure of and thus gain more from the class. College is for learning new things, not for hiding what you don't know.
Paraphrase to Learn: "What does that mean?" Ask this question of anything you read. Ask it of things that people tell you in and out of class. Ask it of things that come from your own mouth and pen.
Asking "What does that mean?" simply but effectively puts you in the position of stating a thought in different words that is, paraphrasing. If you can put a thought accurately into different words, that thought has been understood. The words are no longer abstractions, or "just words." Instead, they now create a picture in your mind that you can look at, analyze, and understand better.
The best place to begin frequently asking "What does that mean?" is in your reading. Begin by asking it at the end of every paragraph. Read the paragraph and put the heart of the information briefly in your own words (into one sentence, if you can). Then, paraphrase sections of the reading, such as portions that run from one subheading to another. Finally, summarize in your own words whole chapters or articles. With some practice, you should be able to capture the essence of a chapter or article in a few paragraphs, probably no more than five to ten of your own sentences. While it isn't necessary to put detailed information into your summaries, it will be easier to recall the details when you reread these summaries as you study for tests.
By asking "What does that mean?" of your reading and then paraphrasing the answer, you will understand more from reading something one time than most others do from reading it several times. So, while it may seem that paraphrasing slows you down, it is actually quicker in the long run and you'll understand and retain more of what you read. A little investment now, a big payoff later.
When a point is made in class, ask yourself, "What does that mean?" If you can't come up with a clear answer, go the next step and ask the professor for clarification. If you find yourself doing this a lot in a particular class or if that professor does not like to be interrupted, write a note to yourself to ask another student or the teaching assistant outside of class. If you still can't get a satisfactory answer, go to the professor during office hours or after a class session and ask for an explanation of the point that isn't clear to you. The professor is likely, then, to paraphrase for you. Hearing the same idea or information expressed two different ways is an excellent strategy to gain an understanding of it, whether you do the paraphrasing or someone else does it.
As a bonus, you may find that talking with the professor outside of class gives you much more useful information than simply clarification of the point that you didn't understand. Professors like students who show interest in their subject matter and often go out of their way to help interested students do well.
Learn to Listen: As a child, you may have heard the old saying, "You can learn more by listening than by talking." Listening is a skill that most of us could develop much more fully. Often, we are so busy thinking about what to say next or questioning other people's motives that we fail to hear what they are saying. More arguments probably occur because people misunderstand each other than for any other reason.
Poor listening sometimes comes from drifting attention or plain old disinterest in the topic being discussed. This is a problem both in and outside of class. Resist the temptation to tune out when others are speaking. You will be amazed at how interesting some previously boring topics can become if you just try to listen to what is being said. Actively trying to hear what others say will increase your attention span and will help you understand and remember more. Furthermore, the act of trying to listen is habit-forming.
Improving your listening habits has benefits beyond the classroom. People respond very well to someone who really listens to them. Good listeners are often considered very bright, even without saying anything especially bright. Looking directly at the speaker-without staring-creates a very good impression and also helps you to absorb information and ideas.
In listening to professors and others, you are likely to hear things you don't agree with. Resist the temptation to say so or to discard their message simply because you disagree. Try their thoughts on for size, even though you initially disagree. Try to see where they could be right and you might be wrong. College isn't necessarily for changing your mind, but it is for opening your mind. Good listening may be the best tool of all for opening your mind.
Setting goals for yourself, speaking up and making sure you are understood, paraphrasing what you hear and read, opening your mind to the ideas of others, and careful listening are all skills that take effort. They have immediate rewards in school and in your relationships with others, but they also are skills that will help in your future career and relationships. The chance to develop and practice these skills will never be greater than it is in college. You may be able to slide through college without doing these things, but chances are you won't thrive and you'll let some good opportunities slip past unnoticed. It's a matter of choice, and the choice is yours.
