It is important for you to be a good listener inclass. Much of what you will have to learn will be presented verballyby your teachers. Just hearing what your teachers say is not the sameas listening to what they say. Listening is a cognitive act thatrequires you to pay attention and think about and mentally process whatyou hear

Here are some things you should do to be a good listener in class.

Be Cognitively Ready to Listen When You Come to Class.
Make sure you complete all assigned work and readings. Review your notes from previous class sessions. Think about what you know about the topic that will be covered in class that day.

Be Emotionally Ready to Listen When You Cometo Class. Your attitude is important. Make a conscious choiceto find the topic useful and interesting. Be committed to learning all that youcan.

Listen with a Purpose.
Identify what you expect and hope to learn from the class session. Listen for these things as your teacher talks.

Listen with an Open Mind.
Bereceptive to what your teacher says. It is good to question what issaid as long as you remain open to points of view other than your own.

Be Attentive.
Focus on what yourteacher is saying. Try not to daydream and let your mind wander toother things. It helps to sit in the front and center of the class, andto maintain eye contact with your teacher.

Be an Active Listener.
You canthink faster than your teacher can speak. Use this to your advantage byevaluating what is being said and trying to anticipate what will besaid next. Take good written notes about what your teacher says. Whileyou can think faster than your teacher can speak, you cannot writefaster than your teacher can speak. Taking notes requires you to makedecisions about what to write, and you have to be an active listener todo this.

Meet the Challenge.
Don't give up and stop listening when you find the information being presented difficult to understand. Listen even more carefully at these times and work hard to understand what is being said. Don't be reluctant to ask questions.

Triumph Over the Environment.
Theclassroom may too noisy, too hot, too cold, too bright, or too dark.Don't give in to these inconveniences. Stay focused on the big picture- LEARNING.

Source of article: www.how-to-study.com