Ask questions.
I don’t mean raise your hands in class like good girls and boys.
I mean question what you are reading.
Question what you are hearing.
Question what you are thinking.
When a question arises as you read and it is in the book, go back, look it up, remind yourself.
Asking questions opens the door for you to make new connections. It also helps you assess whether you’re really taking something into your brain or your eyes are just moving back and forth while snack crumbs get stuck in the binding (don’t you hate that?).
Think like a revolutionary my friends. Question things – let your mind be free to ask and explore and trust that your mind has interesting things to contribute to the world! But you might not know that if you don’t let it wander a bit and see where it finds connections between things.
If a related question or connection comes up in class, ask about it or share it with others. If an unrelated question or connection comes up in class, jot it down in the margins of your notes and look into it later, or ask your professor about it after class (or the professor from another class).