When Should I Speak?

Danielle

If you ever feel the urge to raise your hand in a lecture, I advise you to think twice, saying the wrong thing could result in an injury. There are very few legitimate reasons for a student to interrupt a professor. When the whole class benefits from you saying something then go right ahead. There is no problem with asking the prof to focus an overhead or dim the lights, confirm a due date (not written on the syllabus), repeat an important sentence, clarify a complex concept, or even spell out a foreign word. Unfortunately, such things are rarely asked. Usually when someone puts in their two cents, the rest of the class wants to throw things at them, like clipboards and water bottles. I've actually witnessed someone get hit with a pen. So, for your own safety do not raise your hand if you intend on:

-sharing a personal experience: no one cares where you grew up, who you've met, or where you've travelled.

-stating your opinion: save your thoughts for conference, or the prof's office hours. Lectures are not the time for everyone to share their points of view.

-proving how smart you are: making a statement to show how much your know doesn't impress anyone, everyone in the class probably knows just as much as you.

-out-doing the prof- you're an undergrad, you do not have your PhD, 99% of the time the prof will be right and you will be wrong.

If you are still unsure of when it's ok to speak out, play it safe, when in a lecture just sit on your hands.