To increase your chances of success, take an active part in class discussions. Remember that your instructors will not always expect you to merely recall or restate an idea from the text or a previous class. More often, they will ask you to show original thinking. If you sit quietly, your instructor might assume that you don’t know the material or that you have come to class unprepared.
If you feel intimidated by class discussions, you can often overcome your fears by preparing well beforehand:
Actively read all of the assigned materials before class and try to anticipate some of the discussion topics your teacher might offer. (Many instructors list the class topics for each session in the course syllabus.)
Explore your thoughts and reactions to possible topics before class by keeping a reading journal or by freewriting after you have finished a portion of the assigned reading.
Review your written notes a few minutes before class so that you can share your ideas when discussion begins in class.
Related topics:
Working in groups
Showing respect for peers
Speaking in English
freewriting An invention strategy that relies on continuous writing to explore a topic, without concern for format, coherence, or editing.