Ever attended a live seminar?

If you’re a life-long learner – and/or university student – like me, chances are you have!

The seat-filled room, the chatting and contemplative people, the notepads and laptops, the canvas projected screen – that’s my kind of learning space.

That’s where I was today, and that’s where I will be for the next two weeks as I embark upon my journey to become a certified NLP Master Trainer before starting university – a promise I made to myself back in 2013 when I began my journey of personal development.

I’ve come with my passion to learn, my nine colours of pens to write, my ideas to explore and my heart eager to share – so this got me thinking:

What can I do to get the most out of my time here?

At the end of a seminar, I see people who – sometimes glumly, sometimes anxiously, sometimes irately – leave with nothing, and others – sometimes calmly, sometimes contentedly, sometimes ecstatically – leave with way more than they expected.

How can you be one of those people who gets the most out of their seminars?

Here are 4 tips that my experiences have taught me.

4 Simple Ways You Can Get The Most Out of Your Seminars

1. CONNECT with other students

If you’re sitting near people in the same seminar, chances are you’re on a similar learning journey. Interact with them! Not only is the atmosphere more relaxed when you’re surrounded by friends, but some of the biggest rewards come from the conversations you start in the classroom and carry on out into the hallway.

Some of my biggest learning experiences come from the realisations and discoveries I’ve made by talking to those around me. Don’t miss out!

2. Pick the BEST SEAT for how you learn

If you want to hear and see everything and minimise distractions from people in front of you, try to sit near the front. If you tend to verbally repeat things or use gestures to remember things, aim for a place where you feel comfortable doing so. If you’re going to engage in group exercises or discussions, go for a seat that’s easy to move around.

The “best seat” is different for everybody. My “best seat” is in the front row where I can engage with the speaker and my neighbours, and where the urge to get out my phone is lessened because I can’t discreetly get away with it! Consider how you learn best, and go with what will give you the best experience in the long run.

3. Make your notes ENGAGING

What’s the biggest problem with most notes we take? They’re boring – and if they’re boring, chances are we don’t want to read them! When you’re writing notes, be sure to do it in a way that will not only make sense to you later, but encourage re-reading. This could be in the way you organise it, the style you use to write them, or the way you store them. Consider using colours or symbols that allow you to quickly scan notes and find the most important things later!

Over the years, I’ve developed a colour-based writing system that uses 9 different colours of ink to chromatically categorise my notes as I write them. So, when I read them an hour, a day, a week, a month or a year later, I can effortlessly distinguish between relevant information and side notes, between diagrams and doodles, and between important quotes and Greek-alphabet scribbles. Don’t focus on trying to design the perfect system – just start with the basic foundations, and work your way up!

4. Be RESPONSIBLE for the learning that goes on

You aren’t part of the furniture – how you behave or appear to behave affects the energy of the room. Nod, smile, respond to what’s being said – a good teacher will react to the nonverbal signals of their students, and small gestures like this can be massively encouraging. Showing the teacher you’re engaged motivates them to be equally engaged and committed! Similarly, a frowning or disinterested face can be massively discouraging and can negatively impact the quality of teaching. If you have a concern, raise it with your instructor. If they’re flexible, you’ll be actively adding to your learning experience and that of those around you.

I consider the most important part of any classroom to be the relationship you build between yourself and the teacher. Take charge of your learning. Share your responses, your ideas, and your concerns. By building a positive relationship with the teacher, you can support them to deliver a better class that benefits everybody in the room.

No matter where you go, what you learn, how you study or why, always remember that curiosity is your greatest asset as a learner.

Be curious to discover what is possible.