Surviving And Thriving In Literature Classes

Over the years I've noticed the final grades in my lit classes average out about like this:

44 students start the class

35 or so finish the class

10-15 earn As

10-15 earn Bs

6-10 earn Cs

2-3 earn Ds

1-3 earn Fs

So, what are the primary differences between the A-B students and the C-F students?

If you want to survive this class, at the very least, you need to:

Read at least once all of the assigned readings before the class in which they are due.  If you fall behind, you may be able to catch up before the relevant test, but it will be very, very hard. 

Attend nearly every single class.  Count on the fact that you will probably get sick at some point during the semester and miss a couple days.  When you do, you'll fall behind and need to work harder to catch up.  But if you skip a few classes and then get sick, you will, most likely and quite simply, be screwed.

Participate and take notes in class.  Yes, the class notes are all online, but taking notes will help you focus, and more importantly it will help you focus on what is most likely on the test:  if it's on the online notes, it may be on the test; if I said it in class, it may be on the test; if it's on the online notes and I said it in class, it's probably on the test.

Study the texts and notes.  The difference between reading and understanding a text occurs through actually studying it, and generally this means making sense of the class lectures and connecting that context to the reading. 

For every hour spent in class, you are expected to spend an average of two hours outside of class preparing for it.  That means you must spend at least six hours a week reading and studying for this class.  That average assumes you are already reading at a college level.  If, however, you have grown up playing video games and watching TV etc rather than reading books, you may need to spend much more time reading and studying.

If your computer is on and you are checking Face-Book or chatting or shopping for shoes or singles in your area, you are not studying; you are wasting time...and probably your life.

If you are sitting with your friends and talking, you are not studying; you are hanging out with your friends.  This is not a waste of time, but it isn't studying.

If you answered your cell phone or even looked at a text, you stopped studying; start again.

If you are struggling with understanding the texts:

First: Cheat, Kind Of: look up the plot and character summaries available online (on Wikipedia or Cliff Notes etc.).  However, if you only read the online summaries etc., I am willing to bet your grade that you cannot earn a grade higher than a C in here.  Feel free to take me up on that bet.

Second: Read my online notes before, during and after you read the assignment and before and after the lecture itself.

Third: Write down your questions and ask them in class.  Not only will I try to answer your question, I'll also give you credit for participating in class, so that's a win-win approach.

Fourth: Conference with me. I'm paid to sit in my office a couple hours a week to help you.  Take advantage of that.

Fifth: Read. Yeah, really.  This time, though, make connections in your book (write in it!) between the class/lecture content, your own life.  And turn off your damn cell phone.