Lecture? Tutorial? What's the difference?

Typical University Lecture

In most High Schools, a class is a class is a class. However you might notice as you're enrolling in your courses for the fall that some of your classes are not in fact classes at all. You might find that some of your
 "classes" are Lectures, some Seminars, some Tutorials while some are Labs, depending on your program you might have some PKIN classes, practicums or even performance type "classes". You might be at a loss trying to figure out these difference between these types of classes, so that's where I come in!!

Lecture vs. Tutorial vs. Labs
--A Lecture is probably the most standard, form of University instruction. You might recognize this from TV shows or movies, it is usually characterized by a large number of students, gathering in a large hall sitting and listening to a Professor or instructor discuss a particular topic for anywhere from 1-3 hours.

Typical Tutorial Room @York

--Tutorials operate in conjunction with lectures, they usually occur either before or after the lecture with smaller groups of students working with a TA. In tutorials you have the opportunity to engage with the course material more directly than you do in lecture. You have the opportunity to ask questions and discuss the importance/ significance of the readings to the course objectives. Tutorials generally last anywhere from 1-2
hrs depending on the class.

--Labs are very similar to tutorials in that they also occur either before or after the lecture, and they are smaller groups of students working with a TA going over specific lab components affiliated with the course.Labs usually last anywhere from 1-2 hrs depending on the class.

Labs can be FANCY!

Both Tutorials and Labs record attendance, and they both have participation points allocated to them. This can be a less intimidating way for students to engage with material and TA's/ course directors. That being
said I would highly recommend attending both lectures and tutorials/ labs, since they are a great way to ask your questions and get more familiar and comfortable with course material.


Now for those of you that have been adding up the amount of time I have listed here might be thinking "WOAH that a LOT of class time! Ain't nobody got time for that!" Let me put your mind at ease and explain that at York you are required to have at least 3hours of taught instruction per class per week. That means that you're lecture + tutorial/ lab time must equal a total of 3 hours. So you might have a 1 hour lecture followed by a 2 hour tutorial/ lab or a 2 hour lecture followed by a 1 hour tutorial/ lab.

So be sure to step into Class!

You might also be interested to know that generally in the FIRST week of class you will not have tutorials or labs. Especially if your tutorial section occurs BEFORE your first lecture. As a general rule professors cancel the first week of tutorials so that students have a chance to get accustomed to the course and have the opportunity to purchase books, and other course materials so they are prepared for the tutorial or lab.

University is all about going to class, hopefully you feel more ready to attend your first day now that you know a little more about what you should expect from your Lectures, Tutorials and Labs. If you have any questions you you wanna chat about what lectures, tutorials or labs are really like, feel free to comment
below!

Until next time, remember to take it one day at a time and catch me in the Zone!

Nicole