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Putting E–I and S–N together to support student success, Part 3

By Catherine Rains 

Again, since students have already heard from other students with their opposite preferences about what faculty members with those preferences want from them, they find it fairly easy to identify success strategies in such a classroom. Let’s explore how students who prefer Introversion and Sensing (IS) can thrive in a classroom taught by faculty members with their opposite preferences, Extraversion and Intuition (EN). The following are some of the suggestions I have heard from students, faculty, and counselors over the years.

• Prior to class, prepare a list of questions to ask during class—the more, the better.
• Don’t raise your hand and wait to be called on to ask a question. Other students will be jumping in to ask their questions, perhaps interrupting other students or the instructor to do so, and you might not get a chance if you don’t jump in as well.
• Make it a goal to ask at least one question during a lecture; it shows the instructor that you are fully engaged. If you don’t get a chance to ask a question, maintain eye contact with the instructor and nod your head—good signs that you are fully engaged even though you are not talking.
• Focus questions around future possibilities and potential implications of the topic being presented. Even off-topic questions, as long as they are somewhat related to the overall lecture, illustrate creative thinking and show engagement. Steer away from asking too many detailed questions on things you could look up yourself in either the text or on Google.
• Stay after class to ask clarifying questions around the specifics and facts that you couldn’t ask during class.
• Independently research the facts and figures related to the broad concepts presented during the lecture—for example, the historical context or specifics of the topic that were not part of the lecture.
• Find a study partner with whom you can discuss the facts presented in the class and, more important, what they could potentially mean in the bigger picture.
• Use the writing center for help with thought-paper assignments and to prepare for essay exams.