Be Prepared to Get Lost During Lecture
Date Written: June 14, 2024; Last Modified: June 14, 2024This is the last thing you want to happen, but it is bound to happen at some point or another. Maybe you got hung up copying down a really long definition, and by the time you tuned back in to the lecturer, you’ve completely lost track of what they’re talking about. Sometimes, it’s not even your fault — maybe the lecturer was unprepared or disorganised to begin with.
In any case, while it may feel completely futile and pointless, it’s important to keep taking notes to the best of your ability. The most important thing to do is, in my opinion, to write down questions or highlight points of confusion.
First, this allows you to look up missing details, unclear statements, or points of confusion in a textbook later and catch back up. Without writing anything down, it’s frustratingly difficult to figure out what needs to be patched in from a textbook and what doesn’t. This contrasts significantly with other STEM classes I’ve taken in that lots of proof-based math classes (particularly honours-level or graduate-level classes) do not always closely follow a textbook, especially after foundational or introductory content has been covered.
Second, this lets you ask for help. You should make the most of office hours (even if you’re shy like me) — your professor and TA(s) are getting paid to hold office hours, and that pay is coming straight out of your tuition. But we can’t help you if you aren’t sure which parts of lecture you’ve missed or what you’re confused about!
There have been math classes where I’ve been desparetely lost in the middle of the quarter (specifically, ring theory). Trying to pay attention to lecture before catching up at home or in office hours was the only thing that kept me in the course. I think it would have been impossible for me to pass if I didn’t do this!