For for the most avid learners, paying attention in class may be challenging. After all, you’re in school for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week when you think about it, so it makes sense that your mind could drift from time to time.
That said, maximizing the amount of time you spend actually studying in class will improve what you get out of your experience in the classroom, and it can also help you plan for college easier. There are various specific measures that you may take to prevent your mind from roaming, from doodling to moving around to answering questions. For some ideas to help you remain focused and ready to learn during class, keep reading.
Why does it matter for successful learning?
While most classrooms are tiny in high school, such as The Great Lakes College of Toronto, and you get one-on-one time with your instructor, you do not end up with this privilege in college. You can definitely take some big lecture courses, and it can be possible to get lost in the jumble of 250 people in one space. In reality, some college students in large classes will go during the semester without even talking to their professor.
The way you learn is totally reliant on you in these situations, and you may end up becoming much more inclined not to pay attention when certain broad lecture courses encourage computers, making it easier to watch Netflix instead of listening to the speaker.
Although it may be easy to wander off during lecture on your laptop, come midterms and final exams, you don’t want to end up drawing a blank and flunking the class eventually. This is not to mention the fact that you are studying precious statistics. There is much benefit in high school and beyond in studying how to become an active student and bring the absolute most experience out of all the years you have invested in the classroom, so here are few practical measures you should take.
1. Questions to Ask
You may not have the luxury of being able to ask questions in college, particularly in very broad lecture-based classes, whenever you are unsure about the subject content. Fortunately, you do that in high school, so inquire away! Writing down questions that you wonder of while you’re doing your homework or talking to your tutor. Once it becomes necessary to pose questions throughout the lecture, go for it. One of the strongest approaches to remain involved and participate in a conversation about the subject is to raise questions in class, as opposed to simply passively consuming knowledge from time to time.
Until you lift your hand too far, however, make sure that your query corresponds to what you’re talking about in class-after all, you don’t want to wind up posing an off-topic question that distracts your instructor and reveals that you didn’t really listen to them in the first place. Even, you can take caution not to pose so many questions. There is obviously nothing wrong with getting a lot of interest, but try to still be mindful of the time and resources of your instructor.
If you still have difficulty finding the subject material involved, make an appointment to see your teacher after class to find out what makes them excited about this issue. Ask them why they began teaching or what their favorite aspect of the course is, and they may end up lighting a spark in you too with their enthusiasm.
2. Offer short mental breaks to yourself
There is nothing wrong with having a few emotional breaks during class, as long as you are disciplined. The typical period of human adult attention is around 20 minutes, but we can still opt to re-focus our attention over and over again on the same issue (this is how we can watch lengthy videos, indulge in a prolonged talk, or read books). You should use these mental breaks to your favor in a classroom environment and attempt to use them to re-focus your mind on the same thing (in this situation, the class you are in).
3. Get up and change briefly,
If you ever find like your concentration is beginning to waver, it might be a smart move to set yourself in action. Take a toilet break, take a light sprint down the corridor, get the blood pumping back to your head, just make sure you have permission from your instructor to do so, and you’re not gone too long! After all, you don’t want someone to believe you’ve crawled out the window of the toilet or taken a break in one of the toilets.
It could also be a smart idea to stroll or jog between lessons, since exercise may help make you a more successful learner. Take a few minutes to move outside, play jumping jacks, or simply enjoy some fresh air, whether you’re permitted to go outside during class hours.
4. Shift yourself to your desk
Moving your body a little bit often will help you keep your mind on track. If it allows you (without being disruptive) to shift a little at your desk, do so! Try rubbing your foot gently, tapping your paper with a pencil, or even using the fidget spinner under your seat. Whatever you wind up doing, just make sure that your fellow students or your instructor are not irritated or distracted-after all, we all know how annoying it can be when the person next to us at the desk literally triggers an explosion by shaking their leg.
5. Try doodling!
Particularly because doodling is so often correlated with activities that disrupt students during class, it might sound insane. In the other side, it has actually been observed that doodling is beneficial for your brain. If you end up doing doodles or visuals that can complement your notes, this is particularly true. When you’re listening in class and taking notes, sketch anything your instructor explains. It can keep you concentrated and might also allow you to maintain more data afterward.
Be sure to check out blog articles from Great Lakes College for more details on paying attention and making the best out of your classroom experience:
