In the first lecture, the lecturer presents his lecture series, explains the structure, and shows the technical framework of the module. This introductory lecture is about giving the students a first impression of the subject and then knowing what to expect in the next few weeks. And that’s exactly why you shouldn’t underestimate the first lecture!
Your whole semester preparation can still be good and polished: If you don’t use the first lecture to get a solid impression of the module, you will remain below your potential for the whole semester and will not study optimally. Now let’s look at what you need to pay attention to in detail.
The Lecturer
Studies have shown that if you like the lecturer, you listen better, learn more, and are much more motivated overall. That is why the lecturer is a key component in the evaluation of a lecture.
Therefore, you should use the first lecture to assess the lecturer:
- What impression does the lecturer make on you?
- How is he?
- Is he very strict or rather anti-authoritarian?
- Does he speak directly to the students?
- is he joking?
- Is he open to questions?
- How does he react to interaction?
Draw up a rough personality profile of the lecturer and try to assess him. Remember, if you stick with this class, you’ll be dealing with this person for a semester. Do you want that?
By the way here is another extra tip for you. If the lecturer will give you too many assignments to complete, remember that essays can be handled by services like write my paper help.
Event Dates
All other dates of the event will be announced at the beginning of the first lecture. If you haven’t made a plan be forehand, now is the best time to get an overview of the dates. Enter all lecture, seminar, exercise, or internship dates in your calendar. Also pay attention to deviations, cancellations (e.g., due to public holidays), or room changes. It is important that you get a precise overview of what is planned for the module, and which dates you must not miss.
Contact Persons
In the first lecture, the lecturer usually introduces his team, which will supervise the course. Each lecture series is often organized by one or more assistants to relieve the lecturer. You should remember these contact persons well and at least write down their names.
When it comes to technical or organizational questions, it often makes sense to contact the assistants first. Unfortunately, lecturers or professors often have too much to do and can therefore not answer every question. The chair staff, on the other hand, not only react faster to your e-mails but can also reply in more detail.
Structure Of The Lecture
In addition to the times and the responsible staff, the first lecture is almost always used to explain the structure of the lecture series. The lecturer then presents his lecture plan, names the main topics, and explains the structure of his script.
If you pay close attention at this point, you can already hear in the first few minutes of the new semester what the lecturer values most and which topics are particularly important. This not only allows you to better estimate the amount of work but also to set smart priorities right from the start and approach the module super efficiently.
If the lecturer only presents the lecture plan and does not prioritize the individual topics, you can simply ask “interested” which topics should be particularly important.
Literature And Learning Materials
In the introductory lecture, lecturers like to name the books that should be read during the semester or refer to the scripts they have written themselves.
At this point, you should take good notes and get all the important learning materials as soon as possible after the first lecture. Scripts, specialist articles, and exercises are often provided online by the chairs or can be downloaded in a virtual learning room.
Things are a bit different with specialist books: If your university library only has a limited selection of copies available and there is no online availability, you simply have to be faster than the rest of your fellow students.
Type Of Teaching
Are you more of a memorization type or do you prefer to derive the solution because you always want to understand the topic from the ground up? Lecturers often differ greatly in the way they teach.
Some value factual knowledge, others don’t care about data at all. They want to see you solve new problems and outline your thought processes. Some lecturers want you to know current papers, others place more value on basic knowledge.
In the first lecture, it is often already clear what your lecturer is into and what type of teaching he prefers. Pay attention to the teaching methodology he uses and what he expects from you later.
