"The most orderly worker is the most skillful one."
Didascalicum, Hugo of St. Victor, d. Paris, 1141
Here are some suggestions for getting the most out of
this (or any) course, and for enjoying the process.
Show up. If you are not present in class, you cannot be sure of
everything that happens. Not everything gets written down, every
lecture presents new information, and every lecture builds
on those that preceded it. Materials made available on paper or on
the web are intended to supplement the lectures, not replace them.
Sit as near the front of the room as you can.
You will see and hear more easily, and feel more involved.
It's not TV.
Take notes. Passing the material through your brain and
hands helps you understand and remember it and, of course, preserves
it so you can examine and review it later. An article in the
December 19, 2002, issue of The Economist observes, "Knowledge
workers [that's you] take notes ... because the process of note-taking
helps them to learn." Philosopher Colin McGinn, in an article in
Prospect (November, 2003) says, "Make notes. When reading a
book, or listening to a lecture, or even just ruminating, put the
salient points down on paper: this will fix them in your mind, give
them firm expression, and provide a quick and easy way to recall what
you earlier learned."
Before class, look over your notes from the previous
lecture. This will remind you of what was going on and set up the
context of the day's presentation.
After class, look over your notes from that lecture.
This will clarify the structure of the presentation, fix the material
in your mind, and identify gaps to fill.
Devote a block of time to the course every day, whether or not
there is anything due. Solve small problems, write small programs,
identify questions. This will give you practice with the course's
ideas, keep the material current in your mind, and make reviewing easier.
Begin assignments immediately. When each assignment is given,
most or all the information you need to carry it out will have
been presented, so you gain nothing by procrastinating. Work done
in a hurry the night before it is due is generally bad.