Why do I need to learn to Actively Listen?
Active Listening is a useful skill to have because it can:
- Deepen understanding,
- Improve knowledge retention,
- Enhance group working,
- Improve relationships with friends, family, and colleagues.
When attending a lecture or seminar, it is important to ensure you are as prepared as possible. Certain obstacles or barriers can impair your ability to actively listen. Here are just a few:
Be prepared
To avoid lack of preparation, try to make sure you have completed any pre-reading, that you have all your pens and pencils, a drink, and your notebook or laptop to hand. Make sure you know where the lecture is taking place and try to get there on time. If the teaching is online, then login before the start time. Lecturers often highlight the key learning points in the first five minutes of the lecture.
Lack of sleep
It is easy to forget the importance of sleep. If you are a new student, there are so many things to see and do in a new town. If you are returning to study but have other commitments such as a job, children, or dependents then all these things may impede your sleep. But, if you have an early morning lecture, try to get an early night. This will help you stay alert and engaged, allowing you to get the most out of the lecture.
Ill health
Ill health is often unavoidable and unpleasant. It will have an impact on your ability to attend lectures and if you do attend, it will affect your ability to concentrate. However, do remember that many lectures and workshops are recorded so you can watch them at your leisure and still apply the techniques of active listening when you are feeling better.
Technical issues
If you bring a laptop to a session, ensure that it is charged so you do not spend the first few minutes of a lecture trying to find a charging point. If you are watching online ensure any technical issues are resolved with IT or if there are issues when watching a live workshop raise them at the start of the session. If you need support for lectures and online viewing, then please contact the Student Hub as they have all the tools in place to support you.