Lectures, Seminars and Tutorials

Some of the sessions you attend at university will be very challenging. The scenarios below reflect some common challenges that students face, and are accompanied with some tips to help you navigate your way through these challenges if you find yourself facing them.

Scenario 1: The lecture was so difficult I didn’t understand anything. This made me feel anxious.

This is a common experience. Understanding isn’t always an immediate process, particularly when concepts are complex and new to you. We sometimes forget that learning new material is a process that involves going from a broad understanding of key terms to high level analysis.   

If you find something difficult, the following strategies may help you improve your understanding and develop confidence.

In the actual session: 

• Aim to stay positive. Remind yourself that this isn’t the only opportunity you will have to understand the content. You will be able to spend time after the lecture reviewing the content and developing your understanding.  
• Note down any key words or phrases to help you understand the main points.  
• Aim to explain ideas in your own words, keeping notes short and simple where possible. You can always add more detail to complex concepts after the lecture. 
• Note down or highlight things you don’t understand. You might want to add some questions to your notes such as:  
  • How does that work? 
  • I don’t understand how the lecturer got from A to B? 
  • Why is that happening? 
  • What does …... mean? 
  • Who is that study by? 
    ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​You can then find out the answers to your questions after the session. 
• If there is an opportunity, particularly in a session such as a seminar or tutorial, do ask questions. You can guarantee that there will be other students thinking the same as you. 
• Make a note if the lecturer recommends any resources or further reading. These resources might help develop your understanding. However, bear in mind that some of these resources will also be about extending your knowledge. It might be helpful to use a source such a core textbook to give you the general outline of a concept, or topic, before you read detailed journal papers or more complex resources. 
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Scenario 2: When there are lots of new and challenging ideas, I find it hard to concentrate and focus on the key points from the session. 

• The introduction and conclusion of sessions, particularly lectures, will give you the key points. These can be useful to note down even if you are not understanding all the content. 
• Try to keep the aims of the session in mind. For example, is it describing and explaining concepts and theories? Is it explaining and evaluating key research studies? Is it an opportunity for you to take part in a task or activity? This might help you identify the key points and which parts of the session you are finding challenging. 
• Listen out for when the lecturer uses linking words, as this can help you focus on the key points and how they might connect. For example: firstly, secondly, thirdly; however, so, therefore, to sum up, etc.  
• If you have access to lecture slides before a session, it is helpful to highlight any areas which look challenging or new to you. You can then pay particular attention to these areas in the session. 
• If you are asked to read or prepare something for a seminar discussion, it can also be helpful to make a note of things you don’t understand. You can then think about some questions to ask in the session.  
• With any complex concept, it can be helpful to break it into smaller ideas or steps. 
• You might also find there is a good subject-specific dictionary in your discipline to help you with new vocabulary. Resources such as Rewordify might help to explain difficult words. 
• Discuss session content with other students and with your lecturer. You will probably discover that you are not the only one finding it challenging. 
• Try to work out where a lecture fits with the other lectures and sessions in the module. How does the content link to what you have learned so far? You may find that even though the content in a lecture was difficult, this becomes clearer after the next lecture, or after a seminar or practical sessions. 
• There are other things you can do before or after a session to help with managing difficult content. See our resources on Preparing for your sessions and What to do afterwards. 

Scenario 3: The lectures go so fast, I can’t keep up. 

• Note down just the key words or phrases, don’t try to capture everything the lecturer says. 
• Keep notes short and simple where possible. You can always add more detail to complex concepts after the lecture. 
• The introduction and conclusion of sessions, particularly lectures, will give you the key points. These can be useful to note down even if you cannot capture notes from the rest of the lecture. 
• Experiment with different note making styles. For example, mind maps and other diagrams can often capture multiple ideas quickly. 
• Use a recorded lecture, so you can go at your own pace. Take breaks, for example, every 10 minutes to make notes and reflect on the lecture.

Scenario 4: After the session I can’t make sense of my notes.  

• Aim to expand on and explain ideas in your own words, keeping your notes short and simple. This will help you to understand the notes later. You can always add more detail after the session based on what you remember and on your further reading. 
• Experiment with different notemaking styles. For example, create mindmaps, make concept notes or use the Cornell method.  
• You may find some online tools helpful for making effective notes. 

Scenario 5: I spend so much time listening to recorded lectures that I’m not finding time to do additional reading and work on my assessments.  

• If your lecturer has created a recording as part of the module content and it’s not a recap of an on-campus or synchronous online session, of course you need to watch it. However, if it’s a recording of a session you’ve already attended, you’ll need to decide whether it’s important for you to go back and watch it. For example, it may be useful to revisit a recording if you:    
  • have missed all or parts of the live session 
  • found the lecture particularly challenging and didn’t understand some of the explanations. In this case, you may not need to watch the whole lecture but can focus on the parts you need. 
• When listening to a recorded lecture for the first time. It can be helpful to skim the slides quickly first, so that you know what is coming up. 
• You can adjust the speed of the recording, so you can move more quickly or slowly through different sections. 
• Just because you can pause a recording, don’t be tempted to write down everything the lecturer is saying – you still need to capture the main points. 

Scenario 6: What happens if I fall behind? I’ve missed so many lectures this term.  

• Schedule in some times each week to catch up with missed lectures. Make sure you allow time for processing and reading. Use obvious gaps in the term such as reading week or holidays.  
• If you are unable to fit in all the missing lectures because of assignments or other situations, then prioritise the important lectures. Catch up on the missing material in the holidays at the end of term.  
• It is always helpful to discuss the situation with your lecturer or personal tutor. They may have some strategies or resources to help you catch up with missed work. 
• You might also want to attend a Study Skills drop-in to get some help with making an action plan.