You will need to reserve sufficient time for reading. There is a lot of reading to be done for this class, and you might underestimate the time you will need to do this. As a general indication, you might well need at least 5 hours per week to prepare the course reading, especially since you might have to read many texts two or three times before they begin to make sense.

You will find it useful to make notes while reading. Preparing a text doesn’t mean just reading it—you might want to underline central passages (for example, definitions of terminology), so that you can find them easily again, summarise main points and your own ideas in the margin, and take notes concerning specific questions that arise.

You may find it useful to take careful and exhaustive notes in class and in the tutorials. We will not repeat information particularly from readings in class: we will be assuming that you have read it and will build discussions on this basis. If you have not read the reading, it may make your participation in a class difficult or impossible.

You will find it beneficial to go over your notes regularly. If you never look at your notes again until one week before the final exam, they will probably make little sense to you any longer! Review regularly so that you maintain the overview.