<p>I'm looking into Liberal Arts colleges, and one of the benefits often cited by these colleges is the lack of big lecture-hall classes, and the prevalence of discussion or "hands-on" learning. This is generally thought to be a uniformly positive thing, but I'm not so sure. Unlike most of my classmates, I actually enjoy when a teacher just lectures about a subject, particularly when he or she rambles aimlessly about interesting subject-related anecdotes or facts. I seem to learn best when I can just lay my head down and listen half-asleep to the teacher talk, if possible (unless their lecture has important visual elements, which is fine too), and I don't take any notes. What I really don't like in class is homework, labs or other hands-on activities, or projects. I'm a totally abstract thinker, and any attempts to teach subjects as real-world applications is pretty much annoying and just serves to impede learning. Discussion can be good, however, provided the subject is conducive and the other students are interested. What kind of colleges would fit this learning style?</p>
<p>I liked lecture classes too, just for the pragmatic reasons of anonymity and non-required attendance. Still, from a teaching perspective, it is a bit of a waste. If they are just lecturing without interacting with the students, you could get the same thing better from a recorded lecture or a book (go at your own pace, be able to reread etc.).</p>
<p>Junglebrain, it seems like you answered your own question! </p>
<p>Would you rather</p>
<p>be able to lay your head down and listen half-asleep to the teacher</p>
<p>or </p>
<p>have to do the readings and have to find yourself forced to speak up intelligently with no anonymity?</p>
<p>It all depends on the learning style. Some like lecture, some like discussion. Think about the classes you liked in high school. Do you like the lecture classes or the discussion-oriented ones? </p>
<p>I prefer discussion classes because then you're more in charge of your own education, and there are more opportunities to talk with your professor, which is great (for me). </p>
<p>Maybe you like a mix of both. That's something to think about when you're looking for colleges.</p>
<p>I have no trouble doing readings or anything like that. The only problem with discussion classes for me has been that very few other students at my high school have anything very insightful to say, so I often feel like I'm talking to a wall...Either they don't care or they don't get past the most basic elements that have been given to them in the class.</p>
<p>My big problem is with so-called hands-on learning that many colleges seem to attach on to descriptions about discussion-based classes. Some people like to learn by doing...I am not one of them. I can learn by listening or discussing (in the right environment), but when I have to do a lab or a project, I start performing poorly. How much I like a class is often inversely proportional to the number of projects or field-work kind of assignments that are required.</p>
<p>Since this is the reverse of how it works for the majority of students, I imagine few colleges would boast about the low amount of labs/projects/fieldwork in classes. So my question is regarding which colleges might have this kind of education, or even which majors would have classes like that.</p>
<p>Sounds like the University of Chicago would be a perfect match for you. It offers one of the finest Liberal Arts educations of any college or university in the country.</p>
<p>junglebrain, i learn just like you! I dont take notes, but i listen and soak it in etc... </p>
<p>maybe you want a big college.</p>
<p>Im going to be a junior this year, and ive looked at a bunch of schools already because i'm too busy during the school year.</p>
<p>I think I want to go to a big college. I like the idea of A) semi optional attendence and B) going into a lecture hall of 150 or so and just listening. </p>
<p>My parents gave me all the BS about how student to teach ratio and class sizes are so important, and though i love to participate, i learn best when i listen. As long as the professor tries to be somewhat intersting I'm perfectly fine if he doesn't know my name.</p>
<p>Also, i want to feel like I'm at college, and not just a big HS.</p>
<p>i think you'll find in most <em>serious</em> lecture classes, the lecturer doesn't lecture on stuff in the books. therefore, you need both--as the lecturer acts as the textbook which you wouldn't have bought. also, most large lecture classes (at least in classes like history or english or relgion, etc.) will have break downs into section where you will discuss the readings.</p>
<p>I personally love lecture classes--they really aren't that different from small classes if you have a professor who entertains questions or encourages you to speak up. You never get more than a few kids who speak up in a lecture class anyway, so its like being in a small class in a big room!</p>
<p>also, for some classes, it just seems silly to have a little class. for example, intro astronomy...does it really matter if you're in 10 or 1000 person class? its the same solar system, and its not any more interesting regardless of how many people there are in the class.</p>
<p>Junglebrain, I'm glad you've realized that -- only too many students seek out the "best" colleges based on class sizes, assuming that they want small classes. One thing you'll get at any large top university (Stanford, Harvard, Cornell, Berkeley, etc.) is either 1) small lectures/discussions, or 2) large lectures with small discussions (sections). So you get the best of both worlds.</p>
<p>What many seem to have difficulty understanding, though, is that some people are just fine with larger classes. There are many benefits, too -- you don't always have to show up for lecture, there's more independence in what you do while you're there, etc.</p>
<p>I found that many (most) teachers with small classes just lectured anyway. The advantage was that if you wanted to ask a question, you could, and that they knew each person. In a big lecture, they may take a few questions, but you may not get a chance to ask yours. In small classes, I have to say that not all questions were welcome. I agree that big lecture classes are not necessarily bad.</p>