Office hours are an important part of your learning experience at Harvard – they are a chance to interact with your instructors outside the classroom. While they might seem like an “extra” or optional part of a course, most students find that attending office hours has a positive impact on their classroom experience. Instructors offer different types of office hours, each of which has unique benefits for your learning. …Continue Reading Office Hours
Think about how you take notes during class. Do you use a specific system? Do you feel that system is working for you? What could be improved? How might taking notes during a lecture, section, or seminar be different online versus in the classroom?…Continue Reading Note-Taking
Motivation is typically split into two different categories: extrinsic and intrinsic. Extrinsic motivation is derived from pleasure or rewards from external sources. Intrinsic motivation is based on the value we find in our own work. …Continue Reading Motivation
Although it is true that having information stored in our heads is not the same as understanding that information, memorization still serves a vital function in our learning. We cannot continue to advance our knowledge in any subject if we don’t remember the basic components on which that knowledge is building….Continue Reading Memory and Attention
There are so many great opportunities and people at Harvard that it can be hard to know what to say “yes” and “no” to….Continue Reading Know and Honor your Priorities
A learner-centered environment characterizes US classrooms. This means that students are expected to take an active role in their learning through class participation and engagement with faculty and classmates. Courses taught in a lecture format will also feature a separate, smaller discussion section centered on student participation….Continue Reading International Students
You will engage with many different types of instructors at Harvard. They will range from professors to lecturers and preceptors to teaching fellows, teaching assistants, and course assistants. Harvard teaching staff are here to support you and are happy to hear from you! …Continue Reading Interacting with Instructors
Learning at college requires processing and retaining a high volume of information across various disciplines and subjects at the same time, which can be a daunting task, especially if the information is brand new. In response, college students try out varied approaches to their learning – often drawing from their high school experiences and modeling what they see their peers doing. While it’s great to try different styles and approaches to learning and studying for your courses, it’s smart to incorporate into your daily habits some learning practices that are backed up by current research. …Continue Reading Effective Learning
Forming an accountability group of your own is an effective strategy for getting writing done and for making progress on large projects. By meeting at set times and giving everyone a chance to report their progress and goals, accountability groups leverage social commitment, provide structure, and help ensure students focus on tasks they might otherwise avoid….Continue Reading Creating Your Own Accountability Group
Each class at Harvard will have its own norms, and often those norms will either be explicitly stated on the syllabus or co-created by the class early in the semester. If you’re unsure of class norms, even after doublechecking the course syllabus, then it’s a good idea to check in with your instructor to find out what they are. …Continue Reading Classroom Norms
