Choose seminars over lectures

By Katerina McCauley |Staff Writer|

I thought I preferred lecture classes over seminars in terms of needing my time and focusing on other responsibilities outside of class. But as a student, seminar style classes are really beneficial in the long term.

Most students think they like lecture classes, but really can’t come up with any legit reasons why.

If most are honest with themselves, like I was, you’d find that lecture classes are favored simply for the lack of responsibility it brings.

Unless you liked the subject matter, do you really remember half of your lecture classes?

Being independent of the professor seems to be the theme of liking a lecture class, if you like working at a different pace for instance.

Another benefit of lectures is that most lecture classes don’t take role.

This is good for students who have jobs and other commitments, but we all know this freedom is happily abused by all of us students.

Student Brianna Fragoso, likes large-sized classes because she enjoys the lectures themselves, it’s easier to follow for her, and prefers the freedom. Fragoso feels the seminars drag on for her.

If a lecture class or a seminar class doesn’t support your learning style, you could be treading water and praying for the end.

If you don’t understand the subject matter, it can be hard to catch up to standards without support.

In a lecture class, you more than likely don’t read the material and rely on the bulky class size to avoid being responsible for answering questions and participating.

I think the only good a lecture can be is for the students that have other priorities like jobs, families, clubs and sports and cant put that much attention and detail into every week of the class.

It’s easier to have few things due throughout the class, than multiple essays or projects.

In seminars, you can become closer with your classmates- in a smaller class it’s easier to socialize and discuss questions about the material.

Student Andrea Ramirez feels that she does better in seminars.

“You get more attention from the professors, more group activities and more help when needed,” said Ramirez.

The small size brings you closer to your professor. With most seminar classes not exceeding 35 students, it’s easier for a student to cultivate a relationship with the professor.

Introverted students can be more comfortable in smaller class, and feel more confident in participating and approaching the professor.

Seminars can be better for classes that need more one on one instruction, or any subject matter that a student feels they need more instruction in.

“The key to lectures is engaging students throughout the duration of the class, and students tend to be more passive,” said political science professor Artour Aslanian. “Seminars provide students with more depth into the material, and they are responsible for more work.”

Seminars are better for this professor because he believes that he can engage more with students when there is “12 verses 160,” Aslanian jokes.

While lecture classes have their superficial perks, seminars prove to benefit students through engagement and depth of subject.