Top Tips for getting the most out of seminars

Seminars are a safe environment where you can ask questions, share ideas and have open discussions with your tutor and others on your course. So don't be afraid to participate, both by sharing your ideas, and listening to others'.  The more you put into your seminars, the more you will get out of them.

It's also perfectly natural to feel a little nervous about speaking in front of your seminar group, but remember it's very likely that most other people will also feel the same!

• To help you relax straight away, say hello to those sitting near to you at the start. Remember, seminars are a great chance to meet people too!
• Bring along any notes you've made in advance. Having some pre-prepared thoughts and questions will help prompt you to say something.
• Try being the first to speak! This will get your first contribution out of the way and allow you to feel more relaxed for the rest of the seminar.
• Listen to others. You can learn a lot from other people's view points, as well as from the act of discussing and debating. Try to be flexible and move with the discussion.  
• Always remember that seminars are not necessarily about getting the right answers and having the perfect ideas. They are a chance to test out your arguments on a live audience who will respond to and develop your points.
• Testing out your ideas will be really helpful for your assignment writing and developing your 'critical academic voice'. Note down any interesting points or objections raised in response to your ideas.

Participating in seminars will naturally develop your communication skills. To help you both speak and listen, effectively and inclusively:

• When discussing ideas, express your thoughts or questions as clearly as you can. This will help you to develop the skill of communicating complex ideas succinctly and in a way that others can understand, which is essential for your assignments too.
• Address questions and ideas to the whole group.
• Listening is as much a skill as talking – listen attentively and respectfully to other people’s ideas. Use body language to show interest, and don’t interrupt people.
• Recognise non-verbal cues such as eye contact to indicate when people want to put forward an idea or response.
• Respect the power of silence (‘thinking time’).
• Be non-judgmental of other people’s ideas and comments.
• If you feel you need to disagree with a perspective, do so respectfully and explain your reasons. This is also good practice for responding to alternative points of view in your assignments.