Staying focused while in school is not easy. It actually takes a lot of effort to remain alert throughout a lecture. Sometimes your thoughts get carried by the things you did the previous day after school or maybe you just feel sleepy. And that’s not all. There are students who get distracted by the people around them such as a beautiful girl that keeps glancing or a phone that keeps beeping. All these distractions have a negative effect on your performance. This is because you hardly grasp anything that the instructor is teaching. Most students admit that they intend to concentrate in class only that they don’t know how they end up losing focus. If you have been suffering from such problems, the tips outlined below are meant to help you maintain your concentration from the time you walk into a classroom till the time the lessons are over.
1. Sit at the Front
It’s not easy to concentrate when you are seated at the far end of the classroom. It’s actually the favorite spot for learners who are not serious about their studies. It’s also in the same spot that you will find the bullies and all the bad guys. They gossip and do all manner of things that make it difficult to grasp the concepts while seated among them. You should actually consider shifting. In fact, you should insist on taking your seat to the front row. That way, you will be much closer to the instructor, which in return guarantees that you will get every word that comes out of his mouth. Sitting at the front will also spare you from having to sneak glances at the most gorgeous girls or chat on the phone in the classroom because you know the lecturer has his all eyes on you.
2. Sleep Early
Some students sleep during lessons to compensate for the sleep that they didn’t get back at home. Even when the topic being taught is very interesting, they still slumber. Sleeping in class causes you to miss a lot. In fact, you have to rely on your classmates that are always awake. You can avoid such a problem by sleeping early in the evening. Once you have had your supper, you should retire to your bed at around 10 PM. Watching TV for many hours denies your brain and the rest of your body an opportunity to rest. You should also skip events such as parties that end in the wee hours of the night.
3. Eat Your Breakfast in the Morning
Skipping breakfast is a huge mistake. This is because your body needs food to remain energized throughout the day. If you don’t eat anything when you wake up in the morning, you become vulnerable to falling asleep while in class. This is due to the fact that your body will run out of energy in the course of the day and make you feel like taking a nap right there in the classroom. You should actually consider complementing your breakfast meal with strong energy and concentration pills.
4. Take Notes and Ask Questions
There are times the instructor or the topic becomes boring. In fact, most students blame their inability to concentrate in class on boredom. But there is a solution to every problem. Listening to an instructor for more than 30 minutes without saying a word is not easy. The surest way of killing boredom in class is by being active. You should focus on remaining awake by asking the instructor some questions. This will actually help you bond with him. In fact, instructors all over the world love students that ask them questions. Alternatively, you can take notes of what the instructor is teaching about. This is because it’s hard to sleep when you are preoccupied physically.
5. Sit Upright
Leaning back in your chair induces you into sleeping. It actually works like a sedative. You should, therefore, avoid leaning back and sit upright until the instructor is done with the lecture. Besides that, if the weather is too hot, you should open the window close to you to let in a cool breeze. You should also remove heavy clothes such as a jacket and sweater.
