Listen Actively and with an Open Mind

1. Be ready for the message. Prepare yourself to hear, to listen, and to receive the message. If you have done the assigned reading, you will already know details from the text, so you can focus your notes on key concepts during the lecture. You will also notice information that the text does not cover and will be prepared to pay closer attention when the instructor presents new material.
2. Listen to the main concepts and central ideas, not just to facts and figures. Although facts are important, they will be easier to remember and will make more sense when you can place them within concepts, themes, and ideas.
3. Listen for new ideas. Even if you are an expert on a topic, you can still learn something new. Do not assume that college instructors will present the same information you learned in a similar course in high school. Even if you’re listening to a similar lecture, you will pick out and learn new information. As an engaged student, make a note of questions in your mind as you listen, but save the judgments for later.
4. Repeat mentally. Words can go in one ear and out the other unless you make an effort to remember them. Think about what you hear, and say it silently in your own words. If you cannot translate the information into your own words, ask the instructor for more explanation.
5. Decide whether what you have heard is not important, somewhat important, or very important. While most of what your instructors say and do in class is important, occasionally they may make comments or tell stories that are only somewhat related to the class material or may not be related at all. If an instructor’s comment is really unrelated to the focus of the class, you don’t need to write it down. If it’s very important, make it a major point in your notes by highlighting or underlining it, or use it as a major topic in your outline if that’s the method you use for taking notes. If it’s somewhat important, try to relate it to a very important topic by writing it down as a part of that topic.
6. Keep an open mind. Every class holds the promise of letting you discover new ideas and uncover different opinions. Some instructors might present information that challenges your ideas and values on purpose. College is supposed to teach you to think in new ways and train you to provide support for your own beliefs. Instructors want you to think for yourself; they don’t necessarily expect you to agree with everything they or your classmates say. However, if you want people to respect your values and ideas, you must show respect for theirs as well by listening to what they have to say with an open mind.
7. Ask questions. Early in the term, determine whether your instructor wants you to ask questions during the lecture. Some instructors prefer that students ask their questions after the lecture, during separate discussion sections, labs, or office hours. If your instructor answers questions when students ask them, speak up if you did not hear or understand what was said. Ask for explanations immediately, if possible; other students are likely to have the same questions. If you can’t hear another student’s question or response, ask him or her to repeat the question.
8. Sort, organize, and categorize. When you listen, try to match what you are hearing with what you already know. Take an active role in deciding how best to remember what you are learning. If you find yourself daydreaming during a lecture, quickly refocus your thoughts on the topic and actively take notes. After class or during your instructor’s next office hours, ask him or her to help you fill in any gaps in your notes.