Listening Better in School

Is Listening Important for My Studies?

Listening is one of the key strategies for assimilating knowledge in to one’s brain for long term use. On average, college students spend around fourteen hours each week listening to lectures in classrooms across the nation. But are they really listening?

You have to realize that there is a major difference between merely hearing and actively listening. Hearing can be thought of as “passive listening.” You might hear the sounds of someone’s voice and are thus aware that a person is speaking, but you are not actively processing what is being said. Many people have this problem. But it is a problem that must be overcome if we are going to be successful as students – and in the school of life, as well.

The key to active listening has little to do with our ears. It has a lot to do with seeing, writing, and body language. To begin with, you should make sure that you maintain eye contact with your instructor whenever he or she is speaking. If you are not looking at them directly, then chances are high that you are not listening to what they are saying. Steady eye contact keeps you involved with the lecture. The only time it should be broken is when you have to write down notes in your notebook.

What else can I do to improve my Listening Skills?

When a professor is speaking, try to focus on what they are saying – not how they say it. Sometimes teachers have annoying tics, things they do when they are speaking that we notice. They might say “huh” a lot or clear their throats. Do you find yourself focusing on these trivial tics? Then you are not really paying attention to the content – the information they are attempting to convey. If this is the case, then you are not getting anything from the lesson.

There is also a form of listening that involves listening a little too well and thus not hearing what is being said. In a word, this is when a topic of personal emotional value is being discussed. Perhaps the professor is airing an argument that you do not personally agree with.

You may find yourself listening in an emotional manner, wanting to cry out and protest – in which case you are not listening well. Try to maintain an objective stance when you are listening. This will help your case much later if you are given an opportunity to respond to what the professor has said.

Next Page: How do I combat distraction in the Classroom