Preparing for seminars

Here is some advice to help you approach seminars at Nottingham.

• Check with your course information to see if you are expected to do any preparatory work before the seminar, such as completing a specific task, reading a text or noting down questions on a topic. For a first seminar, this is unlikely to be the case, but preparation for future seminars is an important aspect of being a successful student.
• Get there in good time (being late is frowned upon and considered bad manners)
• Pick a seat that enables you to contribute to the class
• Most tutors may begin the first seminar by introducing themselves and explaining the role of the seminar in the module or course. You may be asked to introduce yourself too.
• Check if your course materials (available on Moodle) provide a list of topics to be studied throughout the module, and any hand-in dates for coursework. Your tutor may provide additional information on these in the first seminar.
• Be prepared to talk. Seminars are places where questions are explored, views are debated and analysed and students are expected to contribute to the discussion with the tutor and each other.
• Be prepared to listen. You should listen to and respect the views of your colleagues on the course as well as your tutor. You may not agree with them and may wish to challenge or clarify their points but listen carefully first.
• Prepare even if you are not presenting at the seminar. You will get much more from a seminar if you have a sufficient background in the topic to be able to discuss, critique and challenge.