Being Lost in Class

Why is it important to address it

1. You are paying good money to learn this material. You should insist on getting your money's worth. If you are lost, you are not learning the material.
2. Getting lost rarely if ever fixes itself. You can't just wait until you understand it. You probably won't, esp. in computer science because we keep moving on to more and more advanced material.
3. If you are lost, there is a good chance others are lost too.

Guidelines on how to handle it

1. If you are lost, ask questions. Most likely there are other students in the same boat.
2. If this is a commonly occurring situation in a course, try to prepare for class ahead of time. See that "Gem" for more help.
3. It is not atypical for the material to be confusing the first time it is covered. By reading the material ahead of time, you will be more likely to follow it in class when it is covered. You might find yourself saying, "Hey, this is where I was lost/confused! I need to pay attention!" You might even have a question or two ready to ask!
4. There are often many different ways to cover material. If you ask questions of your professors, they might be able to explain it in another way that make sense. But if they don't know you are confused, they will probably go on!
5. If you leave class confused, seek out the professor before it meets again and ask for help! Otherwise, the next class will probably just add to your confusion. It might only take 5 to 10 minutes to explain things on a one-to-one basis.
6. Read the textbook after class. It might help clarify things for you.
7. Talk to a classmate or two after class. That might help. If not, all of you could go to the professor to get help.

Requirements for credit

1. How often do you find yourself lost in a class?
2. What have you tried in the past to find your way?
3. Try three of the things listed above the next time(s) you are lost. Report on their success.