Lectures at university can be quite different from lessons at school and college, particularly when you are taught in a big group. It may be that some lectures take place online and some take place in person. This activity will help you to make the most out of lectures.

Lectures are one of the main ways you will be taught at uni. The format is fairly straightforward: a lecturer will talk for about an hour, usually with slides, while the audience watches. You won’t normally be expected to speak or answer questions in lectures, but you will need to take notes.

Lectures usually take place in purpose built rooms called lecture halls. You can usually sit where you like, though if it’s a popular lecture you may need to arrive early to get the seat you want.

It’s hard to know what an undergraduate lecture is like until you’ve been to one, even if you’ve been to a public lecture or sample session as part of visiting your university.

Keeping up with note taking, and being in a room with a lot of people can be both challenging. But many students really enjoy lectures, as it’s a chance to learn more about a subject you’re interested in from an expert in your field.

Making notes

1. You won’t be able to write down everything that is said, and even if you could, it’s not the best way to learn. Think about what the most important points you’ve learned are, and practice writing summaries.
2. Similarly, there is little point copying exactly what’s on the slides – these will usually be uploaded to the virtual learning environment (Moodle) anyway.
3. Try to write what you think about the contents of the lecture, as well as the lecturer is saying.
4. Drawing mind maps, either with software like MindGenius or by hand, can be a really effective way of taking notes, and might suit your way of thinking better than writing down full paragraphs or bullet points.
5. You should be able to access Moodle a few days in advance to look at the lecture slides and any relevant resources. Online lecture recordings will be posted on Moodle – you can watch these back in your own time.

Timing

1. Lectures don’t always start on time, but it’s better to assume that they will. If you can, arrive early as you will not miss anything and you can get settled before it begins.
2. Sometimes being late is unavoidable. Come in as quietly as you can – it might feel intimidating at the time, but people are not going to mind and it’s better not to miss out on a lecture. The same applies if you need to leave earlier than planned.
3. Other students may well arrive late or need to leave early themselves. This can be distracting, but it’s okay to do this at university, as everyone has things going on outside the course.
4. If you arrive too early for your session, the previous lecture may still be going on, and you can get caught in the crowd of people leaving.
5. Think about what you need to be comfortable in a lecture. Bring a bottle of water and have a snack before if you’re hungry, and make sure you have time to go to the toilet before your lecture.
6. If you are one of the first people into the lecture theatre, you can choose where to sit – you might like to sit on the end of a row near the aisle so you can get out quickly if you need to leave.

“I left lectures, if the commotion became unbearable.” (student,  Autism&Uni surveys)

If sitting near the front helps you to concentrate, grab a seat there.

Question time

1. There will often be an opportunity to ask questions in a lecture – either the lecturer will ask if there are any questions during the session or there will be specific time left aside for this at the end. Write your question down and save it for later.
2. You should only ask a question publicly in a lecture if you think everyone in the session would benefit from hearing the answer. This is quite hard to get to grips with. It doesn’t mean you can’t ask things that are more personal to you and your understanding of a topic or assignment, it’s just that you need to either ask privately at the end of the lecture, email your lecturer or arrange an appointment with them.

Telling the lecturer about your autism

“In first year I missed a lot of lectures and also would sometimes have to leave during one as I would have severe anxiety due to having to sit surrounded by people, not moving and often in a room with no windows and unnatural light. Lecturers were aware this could be the case and so did not mind and knew I was not being rude.” (Fern, final year student, Autism&Uni interview)

It can sometimes be beneficial to tell your lecturers that you are autistic and how it affects you – even if you think they already know. Read the rest of Fern’s interview and the toolkit section on Telling people at university about your autism, if you haven’t already done so.

1. Do you prefer to sit near the front of a lecture, or closer to the back?
2. What helps you to focus on someone speaking, like a lecturer, when a lot is going on?
3. Do you feel comfortable asking the lecturer to use the microphone if everyone else says they’re OK without it or the lecturer starts speaking quietly?
4. If you need to leave a lecture early, either because you have an appointment or you need to go somewhere quiet for a while, how will you sort that out in advance?
5. Do you prefer to handwrite your notes, or use a laptop?

Chris Green, Disability and Neurodiversity Advisor, City St George’s