We’ve talked about feed (RSS, Atom, whatever) extensively in the past. Whether it was more productive feed reading or overcoming overload, we’ve tried to help you deal with the feeds you already have coming in.

But did you know that feeds (other than this one of course) can improve your school work? Sure, you can read productivity blogs to improve how you do your work and social blogs to keep a life while you do your work. But reading blogs and feeds about the topics you are studying can improve your grades, allow you to be a more active participant in your classes and help you learn the material better.

For every class you might take there is someone out there blogging about it or a website (or 20) dedicated to people interested in it. Before the semester even starts you should go searching for some of those and subscribe. Here’s how subscribing and reading those feeds will help you:

• You’ll learn how people in the field think about that field. Historians think about questions differently from economists or physicists. Understanding how the field thinks can help you understand the field better.
• You’ll hear about the current arguments going on in the field. If these arguments are relevant to your class you can use the information you learn in papers.
• You can impress your teacher; you will be able to make comments and write papers that reflect a more thorough view of the field, as well as showing that you know something that wasn’t covered in class.

Where to start? As always, hit Google and sites like Technorati for listings. Find relevant sites and subscribe. Then follow the links on the sites you have found and subscribe to some of THOSE! Some will be easier than others.

For example:

Any class that involves current events: Editorial blogs from major newspapers will give you insight as well as information.

Economics: start with freakonomics and marginal revolution.

Sciences: all of them are at least covered at scienceblogs.

History: Check out the list at the History News Network for active blogs in the time period of your class.

Keep in mind that while big news sites are good, blogs are better for learning what is really going on, how a field thinks and what people are currently working on. Cast your net broadly and then go back and trim as the semester goes on and you start to find out more about what the class and teacher are about.

Whatever your class I guarantee there are people out there blogging about it. A little time now spent finding the feeds for both news and commentary in the field will help you get into the swing of the semester, impress the teacher and do better overall.