Beaver Nation Migration

10:00am Monday morning was my first class at Oregon State University and I had it in Milam 026. At the time I figured Milam 026 would be like a regular high school classroom with maybe 30 desks placed in rows in front of a chalkboard with room for the professor to teach. Walking into the classroom I was greeted with the dull roar of 500 other students all awake at ten in the morning ready for biology 211. Like many students who first have a class in such a large space I didn’t know what to do. Unsure of what to do I stood in the front of the room looking at the sea of people who all seemed adjusted and ready to go. As if this auditorium was a normal classroom for them and they expected nothing else. Thankfully one of my floor mates saw me and yelled me over next to her and some other students I knew. They were sitting near the front and they had saved me a spot and from then on I knew that the front of the class was where I needed to be. Yet some students do not have the same luxuries I had and might not know where to sit or how to learn in such a large classroom. Below you will find some of my tips and tricks to maximize your learning in some of our larger classrooms on campus.

Sit near the front – Teachers remember and recognize the faces of the students who sit in the front row. Now if you decided to talk and be a distraction this will not help you, but if you are attentive the professor will remember that about you and having a professor who likes you opens up so many doors from references to potential research positions.

Avoid seats on balconies – High up in the balcony it is easy to tune out your professor, forget you are in a classroom and talk to your friends. Professors do not appreciate that plus it is not a good way to learn.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions even though it’s big – Again the professors remember and recognize faces and if you are asking relevant questions that will appreciate that. Also because you are in a large classroom the odds are that someone else will have the same question.

Find a way that works for you to take notes – Some professors put their lectures online for students to print out, some only post skeleton lectures, and some just talk to you and expect you to listen and learn. Weather you work best typing notes on your computer, writing notes on paper or on printed notes from your professor; learn which way works best for you.

Arrive to class 10 minutes early – Arriving early guarantees you a good seat in the classroom as opposed to the seats in the back corners where learning is more challenging.

Always sit in the same spot for classes and tests – Studies have shown that students who stay in the same spot do better than the students who sit in different spots for tests and lectures. When you move, your body has to get used to a variety of new things that could distract you, but sitting in the same spot sets up your body to learn a specific kind of material and perform better on tests.

Sam

Student Coordinator, New Student Programs & Family Outreach

OSU Public Safety works hard to maintain a safe campus, but theft does happen both on-campus and in the Corvallis community.  There are several things you can do to protect your valuable possessions.

Bikes and various electronic devises (laptops, tablets, printers, etc.) can be register with the Department of Public Safety. Registering these items puts them in a law enforcement computer system and therefore recovered items can be identified and returned to their rightful owner. This means you’ll not only have a better change at recovering stolen items, but a thief will be less likely to target your items. You can fill out and turn in a Bike Registration form at Cascade Hall 200 free of charge. Stop tags for small electronics can be purchases through the Office of Public Safety for a fee of $12/tag. More information is available here. In addition to registering these items so simple tips can help decrease the change of theft even more. Consider buying a cheap bike that is less tempting for someone to steal; buy a U-lock and make sure to properly secure your front tire and frame to bike locks; and make an effort to check on your bike regularly (leaving it for weeks on end at the same location is often a recipe for disaster). If you are studying alone do not leave your electronics, or your text books at the table when you’re leaving for a couple of minutes. Please make sure someone is watching your valuables!

Another OSU program to assist you is Operation ID. The form provided on this page helps you document and protect valuable items such as computers, stereos, bicycles, calculators, and more. In order to protect your items fill out the form on the Operation ID homepage and save your serial numbers so if things do get stolen you have a better chance of recovering them. In addition to keeping the serial numbers you would want to have owner engraved identification on the equipment. By having an owner engraved identification on your equipment, if it does get stolen you can get your item entered in the state/national Law Enforcement computer system and can be identified anywhere in the US. This means you’ll have a larger chance of getting your item back. Engraving equipment can be checked out in residence halls and at the Public Safety office at Cascade Hall.