Lecture theatre etiquette rules

Your first week at university can be exciting and overwhelming. Stepping into your first lecture with, often, hundreds of other students is a world away from the smaller classrooms at college and it can be a bit daunting to begin with. We’ve pulled together a list of lecture theatre etiquette at university to help.

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Do move along the row, instead of sitting at the end

Try not to sit at the end of the row unless the rest of the seats are full, especially if you are early. By sitting at the end of the row you are making all of the other students have to either sit on another row or request you stand up so they can shimmy past you making it awkward for them and you.

Do arrive five minutes ahead of your lecture

Get organised and arrive at your lecture five minutes ahead of the start time to ensure you are not late. However, sometimes it is unavoidable so see below.

If you are late, try not to make too much noise

If you are late try to be as quiet as possible when finding and navigating to your seat.

Do raise your hand to ask a question

During a lecture you should always raise your hand if you want to ask a question or answer a question. Remember to only ask questions about the current lecture topic. Other questions can be asked directly to the lecturer once it is over.

Do sit at the back if you have a laptop

If you are going to bring your laptop to the lecture try to sit at the back of the room. It will ensure you keep your important information private, including social media, emails and documents.

Do leave the lecture quietly if you have to leave

If you have to leave the lecture while your lecturer is still talking, try to leave as quietly as possible.

Do read the material before class

Remember to read the material required for the lecture before the class. Some lecturers will upload the presentation used during the lecture beforehand so you can see the required reading and understand what will be covered. It’s a good idea to get your head around the basic concepts of the lecture before your lecturer presents it.  If you have any questions on the topic from your reading you can always ask during the lecture.

Do put your phone away and put it on silent

Before you step into the lecture theatre, you should turn your phone onto silent and put it away. This will stop you being distracted by notifications and mean you won’t be glancing at it throughout the lecture. According to recent research, checking your phones in lectures can cost you half a grade.