Attending classes

Ying and David describe their experience of attending classes at the University of Melbourne.

Students' tips on attending classes

Your subjects at the University of Melbourne are likely to include a range of class types, which vary by size, format and the type of activities you are expected to do. These may be very different to your previous studies or you may already be familiar with them.

Watch the video and think about how you might apply Ying and David's tips.

Tip: Prioritise attending classes on time throughout the semester. This helps you get to know your lecturers, tutors and other students, which in turn will help you settle in and get used to university classes.

Types of class

To find out more about each type of class, explore the drop down links.

  • Lectures are large classes, designed to present theoretical information and provide examples that relate to core concepts in the subject.

    Lectures may:

    • Have minimal opportunities for student-to-lecturer and student-to-student interaction
    • Comprise 1 to 3 hours of a subject’s timetable each week
    • Range in size from 30 to 300 students
    • Include important administrative and assessment information.

  • Tutorials ('tutes') are smaller classes that provide you with an opportunity to discuss the subject content with your tutor and other students.

    Tutorials are:

    • Opportunities for student-to-tutor and student-to-student interaction
    • Usually 60 to 90 minutes long
    • Made up of 15 to 20 students
    • Often compulsory to attend and have participation and preparation requirements

  • Seminars are common in higher-level undergraduate and graduate subjects. They present subject content, like lectures, but they also encourage or require discussion between students.

    Seminars:

    • Are usually at least 2 hours long
    • May require students to research and present content to the class
    • Are interactive and provide the opportunity to get to know other students.

  • Each of your subjects will have a space on the  Learning Management System (LMS) where you can find the subject requirements, assessment information, staff contact details, subject readings, lecture documents and recordings of class content.

    The LMS may also:

    • Provide instructions and links to help you engage with online classes that are a part of your subject
    • Contain discussion forums, wikis, blogs and quizzes
    • Include assessment tasks and feedback.

  • These weekly study sessions are led by an experienced student who has taken the subject with high success in a previous semester. They provide an informal way to revise content already presented in lectures and tutorials, in an interactive, supportive, small group setting.

    PASS Sessions are:

    • available in selected undergraduate subjects
    • optional and flexible – come to any session any time
    • run in weeks 2-12 of semester
    • one hour long

    For more information visit the PASS Program Sharepoint or Academic Skills

  • Other types of subject-specific classes, such as labaratory classes ('labs'), practical classes ('pracs') and studios, exist for different courses. These give you an opportunity to work on tasks and ask questions or get feedback during the class.

    Labs, pracs and studios might:

    • Be 2 to 3 hours long
    • Include time to work on exercises or projects related to the lecture material or assessment tasks
    • Require students to follow safety instructions carefully
    • Involve teamwork between students
    • Have follow-up tasks, such as reports, reflections, journals or folios.

Use the module menu to go the next section: Types of assessment, where we introduce the different categories of exams, assignments and presentations that you might encounter during your studies.