The Dos and Don’ts of Lecture Etiquette
Stepping into your first lecture hall can be overwhelming. It’s a far cry from little classrooms of 30 teenagers with a teacher you’ve known for years. In your first year of Uni, you’ll probably have a few lectures a week along with hundreds of other students – think Legally Blonde without the fluffy pens. But how do you know what’s cool and what will make you the lecture loser? Don’t worry, these dos and don’ts will have you looking like a seasoned student in no time.
Don’t
Sit at the end of the row if you’re early and then complain when people ask you to move.
Do
Sit towards the middle of the row to allow people to move in and out easily. If you need to sit at the end for any reason, try and sit on rows with less seats and be prepared for people to ask you to let them through to available seats.
Don’t
Burst through the doors half way through the lecture and stomp your way up the stairs to the middle of the hall.
Do
Sneak in quietly and take the nearest available seat. Be sure to apologise to your professor and explain why you were late at the end.
Don’t
Talk to people around you or listen to music on your headphones. No matter how quiet you think it is, everyone else can probably still hear it!
Do
Show respect and listen. You’ll probably enjoy the lecture more if you give it your full attention. That’s the reason you’re there after all!
Don’t
Type aggressively loud all the way through the class.
Do
Use a pen and paper to make notes unless your degree requires using your laptop. It’s less distracting for people around you and usually makes the notes you’re writing sink in, too.
Don’t
Raise your hand and ask questions every five minutes.
Do
Wait until your professor prompts for questions. If it’s something that only concerns you, wait until the end of the lecture or save it for your seminar which will likely follow.
Don’t
Eat loud food which will annoy your neighbours or smelly food which will stink the hall out.
Do
Eat before your lecture to make sure you don’t have a belly that rumbles, wait for the break or eat afterwards. At most your lecture will probably last a couple of hours; you can wait that long!
Don’t
Use your phone to text, play games or send Snapchat videos. It’s rude and distracts the people around you.
Do
Check it before class and put it on silent so that it doesn’t ring during the lecture. It’s not worth the embarrassment of having your Harry Potter ringtone go off during a serious lesson!
Other tips
- You can call your professors by first name. No more ‘Sir’ or ‘Miss’ in university.
- Going out is fun until you have to get up at 8am for a lecture. Leave your partying until the weekend or nights before you have no morning classes. You’ll end up asleep, drooling on the person next to you. Not cool!
- If you miss a lecture make sure you catch up. Most professors will upload their presentation and notes online for you to see. It’s also handy to ask a friend for a copy of their notes.
- Try to enjoy it. Sometimes the lectures which sound the most boring end up being the most exciting. You’ve worked hard to get here so make the most of it!
Follow these rules and you’ll be a lecture hall pro! Share with your friends to give them a heads up, too.