Make the most of your classes

We're really pleased you have decided to become a student at Birkbeck. Follow our top ten hints and tips to make the most of your classes. 

1. Sign in. We won't know you’re there if you don’t sign in. It seems obvious but students who attend classes do better in assessments. Show up! Even if you are not fully prepared, attend the seminar anyway. You won't learn as much as you would have done if you’d completed the pre-session activities, but you will still learn something. 
2. Do the reading beforehand and make notes of any interesting examples or quotations that might be useful in a discussion. You don't necessarily need to read the text word-for-word, skimming and scanning are very efficient techniques to acquire information from a text. Pick up some strategies for staying on top of your reading list and taking useful lecture notes by taking a quick look at our online tutorial on reading and making notes.
3. Bring something to take notes on. Notebooks/laptops/tablets/mobile phones are all good. 
4. Get to your seminar early. Arriving five to ten minutes before the start will allow you to have a quick chat with classmates, swap notes on your studies, and to transition into ‘Birkbeck’ mode. 
5. Take part in the discussion. You don’t have to have a big idea or a fully formed comment to take part in a seminar. Just try to join in. Often, you can help the seminar move along by making a small comment, and this can be a way of breaking the ice and building your confidence about speaking up. Expressing and defending your ideas verbally is a fantastic skill for your career, so make the most of this opportunity to develop your skills.
6. Be positive about others’ contributions and try to draw in anyone who does not seem to be involved. Often, people really want to contribute to discussions but don't know how to start. 
7. Be aware if you are dominating the discussion. It’s important to share the seminar time amongst all classmates for your own development as well as everyone else's. 
8. Try to chat to at least one person in your seminar. You will need people with whom you can discuss the class content over a coffee or on a video call. This will help your academic progress and make all your classes more enjoyable. Also, it’s easier to speak up in the seminar if you know you are on friendly terms with others in the class. 
9. What happens if you say something that you regret? If it's caused offence, apologise to the group straight away. This is your community and it's essential to repair damage as quickly as possible.   
10. What about if the answer you give isn't correct? Well, you’ll feel embarrassed; it will be uncomfortable, but try to get over it and move on. Don’t let the fear of appealing foolish get in the way of your education. 

dealing with shyness and social anxiety in seminars 

Know that you are not alone. A survey by The Times (2019) indicated that 47% of respondents described themselves as ‘shy’ and 10%, ‘very shy’.

Start out by setting yourself a target of one contribution per seminar. After a couple of seminars, challenge yourself to start making two contributions. 

Write down comments that you would like to make. A ‘script’ for your contributions can help you feel confident that you will get your point across. 

When you want to make a comment, try to make eye contact with the lecturer or slightly raise your hand. 

Do you feel like everyone else in the group has more important/interesting things to say? Well, good luck to them! You make your contributions anyway. This is about your academic development.