Lecture Attendance

[sp4168]

Does anyone choose to not attend lecture, but also not listen to the lecture audio online, instead opting to self-study the material?

[frenchpress]

46 minutes ago, sp4168 said:

Does anyone choose to not attend lecture, but also not listen to the lecture audio online, instead opting to self-study the material?

Frequently. I don’t soley self study, but I’ve found myself becoming increasingly selective through about what topics or which lecturers I show up for. We have video-recorded lectures. I always at least skim the slides for lectures I’ve skipped to understand the level to which the content was covered, and will study from them if they’re helpful — but I only cue up the recording if something is unclear. 

[1D7]

Yes many have done so.

From my experience it's generally a better strategy but there are always a few who tell themselves they'll study and end up not doing anything. Those students do poorly or fail. If you believe you may be part of the latter group just go to class. Otherwise it's more efficient to listen to lectures 1.2-1.5x speed and spend the extra time saved going through written notes or other material.

[sp4168]

8 minutes ago, 1D7 said:

Yes many have done so.

From my experience it's generally a better strategy but there are always a few who tell themselves they'll study and end up not doing anything. Those students do poorly or fail. If you believe you may be part of the latter group just go to class. Otherwise it's more efficient to listen to lectures 1.2-1.5x speed and spend the extra time saved going through written notes or other material.

Oh sorry, what I actually meant was not listening to lecture at all. Is there anyone who studies the slides, doesn’t go to lecture, and doesn’t listen to lecture after? It seems like a waste of time to listen.

[sleeping_sickness]

Exam questions will typically come from the lecture/slides or notes provided to you. If you plan on looking through that material than maybe you can get away without listening to lectures. I personally listened to them at 1.5-2x speed. It gives you a sense of the take away points which can guide your studying and also hints at what questions are likely to be on the exam. 

[1D7]

4 hours ago, sp4168 said:

Oh sorry, what I actually meant was not listening to lecture at all. Is there anyone who studies the slides, doesn’t go to lecture, and doesn’t listen to lecture after? It seems like a waste of time to listen.

There are many, many poorly made lecture slides where there's either way too much detail or way too little. Unless you have the lecturer then you'll probably have trouble understanding what you actually need to know. Being able to listen to audio also enhances learning (though if the lecturer is poor or difficult to understand then you won't get that benefit).

But still, you'll likely be able to pass every exam if that's your only goal.

[brady23]

Ya I just wouldn't know what to focus on without listening to the lecture.

I do wish lecture slides were made better - i.e. key points on them, clear and concise 

 

[Edict]

Some people do it successfully, i think it depends on the person and how they learn best. 

[Bambi]

I stopped attending lectures in med school after the first week. The notes were available and it was quicker and more efficient for me to scan them and to self-study. I skipped lectures of many courses in undergrad, was a straight A student and found I was able to learn material more efficiently and faster on my own. I did not do this for all courses though in undergrad, but I felt confident to apply this method in med school and it worked well for me. During med school, I studied 6 days a week and had no time for other activities. We are each different and different strokes for different folks.