Can you help me get notes for your class?
In general, while I understand that there are reasons you will be away from my class due to emergencies, family matters, pre-scheduled (or un-) events, or things of the ilk, unfortunately, I don't provide notes for my classes. Many times, because I understand the material I'm teaching, I wouldn't even have any notes to give you.
I suggest these things:
I suggest these things:
- We're talking about your education, so take charge of it by making sure that you have a pipeline to notes, ideas, etc. as soon as you can. That way, if an emergency arises you have already planned for the consequences and can respond accordingly.
- Get to know people in class and communicate with them frequently. In some colleges, students even form "study groups" so that they can share information, encourage each other, help prepare each other for tests, and check over work for errors, etc. In some classes, I will place you in a team; at the very least, you can correspond with your teammates.
- Look up the current class terms list here and see if you can at least fill in some of the blanks yourself. At that time, you won't need as much information from your classmates and you can probably find someone to help fill in the gaps in your knowledge. Failing that you can send some questions to me asking for clarification.
- If necessary, you can ask for help from other students at the beginning of class, before I begin my lecture. It might be embarrassing to ask the class for help, but, once again, it's your education, take charge of it.
- Start a class wiki and encourage others to contribute. This way, there's always a fresh set of notes that everyone can tap into. Defending your changes or additions will help you retain information as well.
- I don't have any proscriptions against using notes you might find on the Internet. I couldn't stop you even if I wanted to. However, you'd better be sure they're right!
