Academic Habits Research Articles

Inside/Out the University: (Academic) Feminist Lifestyle Media and Its Minor Forms

This article identifies a form of cultural production we are calling (academic) feminist lifestyle media, a subset of media produced by and for a public that is inside&solout the university ‐ that is, those who are literate in academic habits of mind and/or relational norms, thanks to some affiliation with an institution of higher education. We first chart the transformations in academia in relation to broader changes in cultural labour and the news and entertainment industries. From there we track the attendant emergence of critical university studies, quit lit and para‐academic cultural production as a way of homing in on the field of inside&solout authors, public figures and texts, ultimately turning to Anne Helen Petersen’s Can’t Even: How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation as an exemplar of (academic) feminist lifestyle media. This genre, we argue, offers feelings of intimacy and belonging to its public, often by effacing privilege and producing homogeneity between and among this inside&solout public. The final sections of the essay offer a shift in focus, as we turn our attention to minor approaches to (academic) feminist lifestyle media, with Sara Ahmed’s Living a Feminist Life serving as our principal case study. Minor iterations of this genre, we argue, model the possibility of identification without homogenisation ‐ of doing feminist work on a smaller scale, to a more specific public and, most importantly, without resolving the conflicts and tensions of positionality, access and difference.

Finding the Qur’an in Imitation: Critical Mimesis from Musaylima to Finnegans Wake

Certain formulations of Islamic theology place considerable weight on the doctrine of iʿjāz al-Qur’ān: the miraculous impossibility of imitating the Qur’an. The prevalence of iʿjāz al-Qur’ān doctrines, however, has not prevented many Muslims and non-Muslims from interpreting iʿjāz al-Qur’ān less as a concluded statement of mimetic impossibility and more as a dare to engage the Qur’an in ways that elude conventional academic habits of classifying the Qur’anic sciences. In short, there are dozens of Qur’anic imitations throughout Islamic history, and this article argues that they are not mere provocations but variously represent efforts to participate in the revelation of God, to embody the Qur’an while annihilating the self, and to re-open the messianic moment of God’s direct, linguistic communication with humankind. As a conclusion, this article follows the lead of examples of Qur’anic imitation to develop a literary hermeneutic of the Qur’an in which we can read the Qur’an into various literary texts and linguistic philosophies.

The Midterm Wrapper: Quasi-Experimental Evidence of an Effective Performance Intervention

The current study examined the effectiveness of a midterm performance intervention designed to help Introductory Psychology students improve their study skills and course performance over the second half of the semester. The ‘midterm wrapper’, a self-reflective online performance intervention, asks students to engage actively with their midterm grade feedback by listing all scores that made up this grade, comparing their own past study strategies and academic habits to a list of effective strategies and habits and listing the study-related adjustments they plan to make for the second half of the semester. In a quasi-experiment, we compared 402 students who completed the midterm wrapper to 376 students who did not complete it on their post-midterm course performance. As hypothesized, controlling for pre-midterm performance, students who completed the midterm wrapper assignment scored higher on all post-midterm exams, completed more post-midterm homework assignments and ended the course with higher final grades than those who did not complete the assignment. The midterm wrapper takes little time on the part of instructors or students, but it is an effective means of encouraging students to reflect on their past performance and make necessary adjustments in time to improve their overall course performance.

“Te Kore and the Artiste within: De-Tyrannizing Autistic Viewpoints in Life, Self, and Identity through Creative Methodologies”

The voices of the autistic community have been systematically forfeited in research and practice, both as a consequence of the double empathy problem and, as a direct result of albeist methodic approaches to researching and representing autism (Milton, 2012., Goodley, 2016, 2018., Heilker & Yergeau, 2011., Hobson et al, 2022., Ridout, 2017). Methodologically speaking, autism creates challenges for allistic researchers, particularly as there is an associated “exaggerated risk” of researching autistic people and as researchers frequently study and thus experience autism, from etic perspectives (Van De Hoonard, 2016, p. 585). This paper contends that these challenges have resulted in a lack of flexibility in methodologies designed to protect those at risk of harm, creating disproportionate fear and an over-surveillance of autistic research participants, despite their potential. Inertia is a direct consequence of this, which manifests itself twofold. Firstly, as the struggle researchers have in capturing meaningful and authentic autistic representation and secondly, of the methodic implications autistic inertia presents. What is suggested, therefore, is a subversion of homogeneous ways of knowing from the production of quasi-aesthetic representations of autistic voice, favoring those creative methodologies which appreciate that autism is not experienced diachronically. As to capture the realities of contemporary autistic life, dividing practices of ableism must be challenged (Goodley, 2018). Therefore, by centralizing autistic research participants as “insiders” to autistic worlds, researchers will have to lay aside academic habits and rethink, heuristically, how to privilege unobscured autistic voices through transabelism (Garland-Thompson, 2005). For in order to carve out hybrid dilatory spaces from which autistic people can develop their narrative capital, a transableist agenda must be pushed. What will ensue are creative and flexible methodologies that align with social justice beliefs and resist methodic stasis and inertia; as decisions to explore the lifeworlds we experience, as autists, comes with no modus operandi.

Implementation of a Technology-Enhanced Peer Mentor Referral System for First-Year University Students.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s41347-023-00303-8.

An example to illustrate the role of R&D in the emerging industrial hydrogen economy

The global warming awareness, the reduction of fossil resources, the demand for well-being of industrialized societies, geopolitical upheavals and tomorrow perhaps the biodiversity crisis are powerful drivers to forster a change in the means of production and use of energy. In this context, the idea of a “hydrogen economy” emerged at the turn of the century (Brandon and Kurban, 2017) around the relatively new notion of hydrogen as an “energy carrier”. However, all concepts even if very appealing, become concrete achievements. Conditions for the emergence of an “industrial sector” (Stoffaës, 1980) need to be fulfilled, i.e. at least a viable market, robust technologies for production and use technologies and logistics. In the following, the authors attempt to illustrate the conditions for the emergence of an industrial hydrogen-energy sector, in particular the role of R&D that underpins this process. There is first a cognitive barrier. The physico-chemical properties of hydrogen are particularly well known, and means are available to produce it in large quantities (Brandon and Kurban, 2017). The risks are also known but are well under control in the industry. Socio-economic actors may find this reassuring. The second element is societal. Mature industrial sectors represent considerable fixed capital. Even if research has already shown that it would be possible to produce hydrogen differently, there is little reason for these well-established sectors to evolve without additional incentives. The societal “drivers” mentioned above (climate change, depletion of fossil resources, etc.) have prompted Europe to take increasingly restrictive measures on the consumption of fossil resources (carbon tax, anti-pollution standards). The effect is a paradigm shift, particularly for the mobility sector, which is now investing heavily in electric and hydrogen vehicles. The third element is techno-economic. If hydrogen appears as a possibility, it is because preliminary R&D work has developed key technologies: fuel cells, very high pressure tanks and created “demonstrators”. But the production technologies and the supply chain need to be developed. European regulations require the provision of hydrogen (produced in a renewable way) up to 3T per day every 150 km by 2030 (European parliament; 2021), which suggests a tight network of the territory. One option is local production either through water electrolysis or biomass gasification. QAIROS Energies identified a business model that can link significant local hydrogen use to favorable agricultural conditions. Technologies are available to grow the biomass, to pyrolyze/ gasify it and to turn the gases in hydrogen (Cao et al., 2020), which offers a range of possible processes. The economic equilibrium requires that the gasification yield be 75-125 kg H2 / ton of biomass with a minimum consumption of utilities (water, energy, consumables,...) and requires also as little residues and toxics as possible, the gas treatment costs being quickly prohibitive. Based on these constraints, QAIROS-Energies set up an R&D team aggregating skills in agronomy to select the most suitable crops, biomass pre-treatment (drying, grinding) and pyrogasification and gas treatment. The objective is to remove the obstacles and to demonstrate the feasibility of the project. For the pyro-gasification and gas treatment steps, a pilot was quickly set up (Figure 4) showing a certain resemblance to the future industrial units, which goes beyond academic habits.

Students’ game addiction caused by multi-constructs and multi-dimensions: Self-controls, cognitive biases and opportunistic behaviours

PurposeThis study investigates some extant research concentrating on student self-regulation to play online games addictively. Then, it proposes a new design to explain game addiction caused by students’ cognitive biases according to three contested approaches: self-control or self-regulation, cognitive distortion, and opportunistic behaviour. Moreover, it separates each contested approach in detail.Research methodologyThis research generalises research subjects with specific qualities and characteristics according to the researchers’ provisions. It selects the population with specific attributes: self-control, cognitive bias, opportunistic behaviour, habits and addiction to online games. Then, this study distributes bilingual questionnaires to the respondents throughout Indonesia. Finally, it tests these research hypotheses, splits them according to each model, and avoids perfect-collinearity among the constructs.OriginalityThis research creates a new design incorporating three contested models of students’ addiction to games. The authors argue that online game addiction is due to students’ weak self-control, cognitive distortion, and opportunistic behaviours. The first perspective suggests that students play games addictively because of their low self-control in managing their tasks and enjoying leisure time. Secondly, this research deals with students playing the game due to their cognitive distortions: embodiment, stereotype, and heuristic biases. Finally, the third perspective explains students’ addiction to games because of their probable attitudes and behaviours: indeterminism, escapism, and adverse selection.FindingsThis research finds that each contested model could explain students’ tendencies to be addicted to playing online games. The authors conclude that multi-constructs and multi-dimensions explain students’ tendency to play games addictively in all three contested models. Moreover, this research infers that students’ habits and addictive behaviours are due to the number of games available on social media and the internet. This availability would likely damage academic habits, behaviours, culture and environment. Meanwhile, educational systems cannot stop the emergence and alterations of some new games. Finally, this study innovates the multi-paradigm for teachers’ counselling guidance.ImplicationsThis study’s findings imply a need for students’ behavioural therapy to be conducted by academic counsellors who are careful of the causal factors of multi-constructs and multi-dimensions. Then, it argues that the different causal factors impact the need for different cognitive therapies. Moreover, it explains that equal treatment for these students addicted to games would make them more stressed. Then, academic counsellors developing healing and wellness programmes should mitigate these students with a specific trait from the subdimensions of each construct.

A Case Study of a Student’s Reading Habits on Academic Texts

This research was aimed to investigate reading habits on academic texts. The investigation was covered reading habits and strategies on academic texts. The participant of this research was an eight-semester student of the English Language Education Study Program who is a good academic achiever, especially in reading subjects. The data were derived from a qualitative case study as the research methodology. Then, the researcher used data triangulation through a semi-structured interview, diaries, and direct observations. All of the data were analyzed by thematic analysis and the investigation answered two research questions such as the research participant’s academic reading habits and academic reading strategies. The first result revealed that; (i) the research participant usually read e-books, journal articles, and educational websites at Untan library, Home, and cafes with approximately 30 mins to 3 hours reading time; several academic reading purposes such as reading for assignments, reading for writing a research proposal, curiosity, self-development, creating ideas, getting knowledge, thinking specifically towards problematic things, recalling memory, spare-time fulfillment, and reading to get motivation; the academic reading factors including self-factor, academic environment factor, peer factor, and the availability of reading sources and access; the second result revealed that; (ii) the student employed four reading strategies namely cognitive strategies that involved self-questioning, note-taking, citing and quoting, outlining, and summarizing; metacognitive strategies, such as evaluating the reading process and realizing; compensation strategies that involved comparing the reading texts, finding the context clues, and reading other sources to improve vocabularies; and mind mapping as the memory strategy in academic reading activity.

Impact of Instructor Generated Guided Reading Questions for University Textbooks on Learning

ABSTRACT Guided reading questions (GRQs) are a formative assessment activity to facilitate student learning. We conducted four experiments to test if GRQs improved student performance on evaluative assessments. Experiment 1 compared test scores between classes that received GRQs or not. Experiment 2 modeled the impact of multiple formative assessments, including GRQs, on evaluative assessments. Experiment 3 examined how optional GRQs impacted quiz scores. Experiment 4 compared test performance between mandatory or optional GRQs. The overall results found weak evidence for the benefits of GRQs, but significant associations between GRQ and evaluative assessment scores. GRQ scores may better indicate a student’s academic habits than provide a unique intervention. Graded GRQs may provide external motivation for textbook reading and access to weekly continuous assessment activity provides benefits for most students.

Recipe for Success: Correlates of Student Performance in Human Gross Anatomy

Anatomy is the first subject incoming medical students must conquer at the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM). As anatomy is so fundamental to clinical medicine, we sought to identify the characteristics and behaviors that most strongly influence success in the Human Gross Anatomy course. First‐year medical students at the Erie, Seton Hill, and Elmira campuses were surveyed about personal wellbeing, academic habits, test taking strategies, and perceived stress. Responses were compared to final course grades via principal component analysis (PCA) and Spearman’s rank correlation test. PCA indicates that 49.66% of the variance in final grades was due to six principal components (PC). PC1 (15.56% of variance) was associated with poor study techniques, such as cramming and lack of self‐assessment, and academic confidence. PC2 (10.20% of variance) was related to student anxiety and help seeking behavior. PC3 (7.21% of variance) emphasized student interaction with lecture material. PC4 (6.14% of variance) and PC5 (5.70% of variance) accounted for group studying and preparedness for lecture, respectively. PC6 (4.86% of variance) was associated with student stress. Spearman’s rank correlation test further identified key characteristics influencing final course grade. Academic confidence (r(133) = .41, p < .0001) and life satisfaction (r(133) = .30, p = .0004) were positively correlated with final course grade whereas negative correlations were found with intra‐test anxiety (r(134) = ‐0.37, p < .0001), cramming (r(135) = ‐.31, p = .0002), and fear of failure (r(135) = ‐.39, p < .0001). These findings suggest that academic counseling for new medical students should focus on establishing effective study techniques early in the semester, properly engaging and preparing for lecture sessions, and encouraging students to utilize mental health resources at LECOM.

Learning the Whole Story: How Undergraduate Peer Coaches Help with Retention and Academic Success

ABSTRACT Undergraduate retention and persistence are richly discussed topics in higher education, and deservedly so. One specific area of study is how to increase four- and six-year graduation rates, and the usage of learning analytics to determine student pathways of success. At a flagship Midwestern US university, we studied at-risk populations (specifically, students on or near academic probation) who were enrolled in an academic coaching course. The course focused on identifying self-sabotaging academic habits, learning proven study and time management skills, and working weekly with a personal peer academic coach. These undergraduate peer coaches were specially trained to support the enrolled students by helping to set weekly, specific goals, connecting with campus resources, and discussing the complexities of undergraduate life. We used Qualtrics surveys to determine the impression that enrolled students have of the experience, and found it was overwhelmingly positive. We also used a comparison analytical method to determine whether the class had a significant impact on the enrolled students. We found that there is a small and not significant GPA improvement for enrolled students, and a significant improvement in retention for one and two semesters after taking the course.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Academic Performance and Personal Experience Among First-Year Medical Students

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic forced medical education to rapidly transition from in-person learning to online learning. This change came with learning difficulties, social isolation, limited student/faculty relationships, and decreased academic performance.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study is to determine if academic performance, study habits, student/faculty relationships, and mental health were different in first-year medical students (class of 2024) during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to pre-COVID cohorts.MethodsIn April 2021, a survey was sent to first-year medical students at the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV asking them to reflect on their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic including study environment, mental health, and relationships with peers and faculty. A similar survey was sent to second- and third-year medical students (classes of 2023 and 2022) asking them to reflect on similar experiences during their first year of medical school. Exam scores for the first five exams were gathered and compared between first-, second-, and third-year medical students.ResultsOne hundred twenty-five students responded to the survey (81% of first-year students, 75% of second-year students, and 55% of third-year students). During the COVID-19 pandemic, first semester students did not score above the national average as much as first semester students pre-COVID (55% vs. 77%). Students during the pandemic studied at home more than previous cohorts. Mental health and relationships were all rated significantly lower among first semester students during the COVID-19 pandemic.ConclusionsSignificant differences were found in first semester student experience and academic performance during the pandemic compared to pre-COVID cohorts.

Prevalence of common mental disorders among medical students during the Covid-19 pandemic

Abstract: Introduction: Common mental disorders (CMD) have been frequently identified among university students in the health area, especially in Medicine. It is believed that characteristics inherent to the course have a potential influence on the student’s mental health. When adding the pandemic context, with its inherent social restrictions, the psychological determinants related to the unknown pathology and the fear of the rapid spread of the new coronavirus, there is the possibility of increasing the risk factors for psychological distress in this population. Objective: To estimate the prevalence of CMD among medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic, analyzing its main determinants in the academic, social and economic spheres. Method: Cross-sectional study, carried out with 388 medical students in Salvador/BA., Data on sociodemographic and academic aspects, life habits, comorbidities and symptoms of non-psychotic disorders were collected using the Google Forms platform, measured by the Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20). Results: The prevalence of CMD was 39.7% among medical students, with 47.4% in the basic cycle, 40.3% in the clinical cycle and 12.3% in the internship period. Among the factors associated with the emergence of CMD are sedentary lifestyle, smoking, use of substances that enhance academic performance, dissatisfaction with one’s academic performance, poor sleep quality, lack of appetite, frequent headaches, poor digestion, suicidal ideation and sadness. There was a higher rate of non-psychotic mental disorders among women, with no difference regarding the academic cycle and the administrative type of the educational institution. Conclusion: During the COVID-19 pandemic, a significant prevalence of CMD was demonstrated among female, white, single medical students who live with family members and do not have their own income. Although studies suggest an increase in the prevalence among university students at the present time, the data from the present study remain in agreement with the literature data prior to the pandemic, showing that the medical course itself is the main risk factor for higher rates of CMD in this population. However, further studies on the long-term impact of the pandemic on the mental health of university students are still necessary.

Prevalence of common mental disorders among medical students during the Covid-19 pandemic

Abstract: Introduction: Common mental disorders (CMD) have been frequently identified among university students in the health area, especially in Medicine. It is believed that characteristics inherent to the course have a potential influence on the student’s mental health. When adding the pandemic context, with its inherent social restrictions, the psychological determinants related to the unknown pathology and the fear of the rapid spread of the new coronavirus, there is the possibility of increasing the risk factors for psychological distress in this population. Objective: To estimate the prevalence of CMD among medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic, analyzing its main determinants in the academic, social and economic spheres. Method: Cross-sectional study, carried out with 388 medical students in Salvador/BA., Data on sociodemographic and academic aspects, life habits, comorbidities and symptoms of non-psychotic disorders were collected using the Google Forms platform, measured by the Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20). Results: The prevalence of CMD was 39.7% among medical students, with 47.4% in the basic cycle, 40.3% in the clinical cycle and 12.3% in the internship period. Among the factors associated with the emergence of CMD are sedentary lifestyle, smoking, use of substances that enhance academic performance, dissatisfaction with one’s academic performance, poor sleep quality, lack of appetite, frequent headaches, poor digestion, suicidal ideation and sadness. There was a higher rate of non-psychotic mental disorders among women, with no difference regarding the academic cycle and the administrative type of the educational institution. Conclusion: During the COVID-19 pandemic, a significant prevalence of CMD was demonstrated among female, white, single medical students who live with family members and do not have their own income. Although studies suggest an increase in the prevalence among university students at the present time, the data from the present study remain in agreement with the literature data prior to the pandemic, showing that the medical course itself is the main risk factor for higher rates of CMD in this population. However, further studies on the long-term impact of the pandemic on the mental health of university students are still necessary.

Teaching Anthropology to Artists: The Challenges of Trans-disciplinarity and Beyond

In this paper, complex issues of education are discussed in relation to research and activism in the humanities and contemporary art, cultural production and politics. The discussion is based on a re-examination of twenty years of teaching anthropology at Greek universities in light of a strengthening engagement in the practices situated between this discipline and art. The context, the content and the mode of this activity are considered, during an epistemologically composite and politically significant process of interchanging teaching and learning positions. The specificity of the conditions of one’s own education needed to be acknowledged in the introduction to this retrospective survey. Teaching anthropology to professionals and students of different disciplines is also described as a period of learning how to place emphasis on practice, re-evaluate anthropological knowledge, combine diverse perspectives and negotiate power relations. Teaching anthropology to artists, however, particularly when the teacher also happens to be an artist, poses these and other challenges. Transdisciplinarity is sought, but only as something to surpass, eventually considering what it might mean to be 'undisciplined'. In any case, it is by now established that when anthropologists meet with artists, common interests become evident and a great potential for the renewal of research and theory is revealed, but diverging priorities and conflicting relations must also be addressed. Teaching and learning in such a context becomes more than an academic habit. It develops as a demanding, research-cum-art making activity, as shown by a number of collective projects that bring together students and teachers, on the fringes of the academy and social life during the difficult period of the so-called 'Greek crisis'.

Improving Academic Performance and Retention of First-Year Biology Students through a Scalable Peer Mentorship Program.

We examine the impact of Biology Mentoring and Engagement (BIOME) near-peer mentorship on 437 first-year undergraduate students over three cohort years. The BIOME course consists of ten, 50-minute meetings where groups of six first-year mentees meet with an upper-division student mentor to discuss topics including metacognition, growth mindset, and effective study strategies. We employed a mixed-methods approach to evaluate the impact of BIOME on mentee academic outcomes. Initial ethnographic analysis revealed that BIOME influenced student study methods, approaches to academic challenges, and use of campus learning communities. We then constructed a novel, program-specific instrument to measure the implementation of these habits, a construct we named “academic habit complexity.” Regression analysis supported the hypothesis that enrollment in BIOME leads to students using more diverse approaches than their peers. Enrollment in BIOME, and the associated development of academic habit complexity, is related to higher course grades in General Chemistry, a biology major prerequisite. Finally, students participating in BIOME demonstrated improved short-term student retention as measured by increased enrollment in the subsequent prerequisite General Chemistry course. These results suggest that course-based near-peer mentorship may be an effective and scalable approach that can promote student academic success.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ACADEMIC STRESS, STUDY HABITS ANDACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS OF UNIVERSITIES

It is crucial for students to lessen the academic stress with improving their study habits as they both are important for their academic achievement. Thus, the objective of the research was to explore the relation of academic stress and study habits with academic achievement of undergraduates in universities of Lahore. Research design of study was quantitative approach, followed by correlation research to obtain the objectives. Total population (undergraduate students of education departments), 1721 students; 1214 were from public universities and 507 were from private sector universities. Data was collected by using two questionnaires. The results of research showed that academic stress predicts 54.6% variance in the academic achievement whereas study habits contribute 53.2% variation in academic achievement. Results also showed that academic stress has significant but negative relation with academic achievement of students. It was observed that study habit had significant and positive relationship with academic achievement.

Edupreneurship management in shaping the nation's character

The character cannot be directly obtained, it is instantaneous but requires time with the custom of academic habits to become a necessity and ultimately to get entrepreneurial skills, the purpose of identifying students' entrepreneurial skills in supporting the nation's character. Mix method with Convergence Model and t-test analysis shows that there are differences in indicators of student entrepreneurial skills with character education treatment and those that are not. There is the lowest indicator on creative thinking and responding to global problems by 60% enough categories. so it needs to be improved in further research with edupreneurship designs that are characterized in preparation, teaching materials, resources and learning media that are adapted to technological developments.

An action research on teaching in multicultural classrooms at joint-venture universities in China

ABSTRACT The institutional setting for transnational education has gradually evolved from practices that provide limited exposure to those that offer a globalized experience, such as branch campuses or joint-venture universities (JVUs). JVUs aim to create an environment that goes beyond the dichotomy between education experiences at home and in the local destination. China invites branch campuses in the form of JVUs in order to contribute to the internationalization of its higher education system. Providing diversity exposure for over a decade now, JVUs in China play a role in shaping a particular youth identity. Socialization in a multicultural environment shapes students’ individual and collective identity, as well as their career trajectories. This action research discusses the impact of the transnational education environment in JVUs on their students’ education and professional pathways; and argues that students develop academic habits that go beyond expectations attributed to their cultural backgrounds. The case study focuses on students’ perceptions and participation practices in social science classes. The empirical data, comprised of an attitude survey and focus group interviews, were collected in the 2018–2019 academic year at a Sino-British JVU based in China. This study contributes to both the sociology of education and contemporary China studies.

Écouter la première lettre de Paul aux Corinthiens aujourd'hui : quelques impressions, questions et hypothèses

It is a fact: we are ‘the unforeseen readers’ of Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, which moreover was written ‘more for the ear than the eye’. The present article follows the epistle through from beginning to end, taking account of those things that our academic habits sometimes make us forget. Attention is directed, among other things, towards the manner in which the apostle – conscious of his lack of authority over some of his audience – is seized from the outset of the epistle by the need to convince the Corinthian community that they must be true to themselves, following the call of the God who has ultimately chosen to make himself known by Christ crucified. For each of the themes addressed by Paul throughout the epistle a range of impressions, questions or hypotheses are noted.