The professor seems to ramble on off-topic, and I never know what’s important information for the test. Don’t get me wrong, the class is interesting, I just don’t want to get screwed over come exam time. What textbook can I use to teach myself?
Does your class not have assigned reading? There’s really no way to do this. Professors have very specific information that they are looking for and that they teach. When you take the class “The Third Reich and Literature”, you’re really taking that “The Third Reich and Literature” according to that professor. You could read a textbook on this subject and it could contain theories that your professor doesn’t adhere to or a lot of information that isn’t in the course, making it a gigantic waste of time. You’re just going to have to try to pay attention in lectures and take notes on everything. If your professor has written a book on this subject it could possibly be useful to read it, but there really is no subsitute for the class lectures and readings because that’s the information he wants you to know.
- Read the syllabus. It may discuss topics that you should be learning.
- Read the assigned chapters
- See if anyone you know has taken the course before and if you can see their tests
- Go to the Professors office hours and say “Your tangent on Hitler’s love of art was very interesting, but I want to make sure I under stand the key topics that we should focus on.”