Attending class regularly is important for success. Attending class will both reinforce the material that you have studied on your own and provide you with additional opportunities for language practice. You’ll have to listen to your instructor and classmates and participate in the discussion. You’ll also have to practice reading what your instructor writes on the board (or displays on a screen) and practice writing by taking notes. The classroom experience provides valuable repetition of key ideas and important facts that you will most likely have to recall or apply on tests and assignments.

Your instructors will expect you to arrive at each class a few minutes before the period begins so the discussion can start at the scheduled time. Make a habit of arriving about five minutes before class begins, and use the time to scan your textbook or review your notes from the previous class or from your reading. Until your listening skills are fully developed, it will be much easier to follow the class discussion when you review the material first.