This semester has gone by well so far without me getting too far behind; however, I had a very Monday-esque Monday this week. I could not concentrate for anything. We’ve all had days like that in college, and if you haven’t yet, you will.
One night, you’ll stay up a little later than you wanted working on homework, it’ll be your birthday, your boyfriend from home will be coming to town for the weekend, your parents will be coming and your room is a fright, or you’ll just get bored. Whatever it may be, focusing will be hard that day.
What can you do to push your wandering energies into focusing energies to get through class or studying? Here are some things I do to help me focus in class:
Take Detailed Notes
Taking detailed notes (even highlighting and underlining) helps me to stay focused on what professors are lecturing on that day. In my Principles of Microeconomics, I have a whole system of highlighting that helps me separate definitions from examples, non-related notes from important points and topics.
Drink Coffee or Neuro-Drinks
I’ve written before about a Neuro- drink that Her Campus sent our chapter, and the girls loved the lasting energy that it gave them throughout the day. A friend from back home said they helped her to settle her mind and focus on the tasks of the day when she drank the Neuro- drinks. Look for them at the grocery store or local convenience store in distinctive bottles in fun, bright colors.
Coffee can help, but after too much, the shakes and caffeine high can be just as bad as your inability to focus, so know your limit between coffee being constructive or destructive.
Essential Oils
I have used 21Drops essential oils blends for about a year now to help me focus when I’m taking a big test or final, writing a paper, or even on hard-to-focus mornings. You can buy them on the website, Amazon, or the office I work for in Bridgeport (Enliven Chiropractic) sells them. You can also look up the ingredients in them and try to make up your own concoction.
Come to Class Prepared
I do realize that this is something that deals with issues prior to class, but in my years of schooling, I have noticed that when I come to class prepared, it is much easier to stay focused. When you’re prepared for class (homework, readings, having all of your supplies to take notes), you are more likely to participate because you understand what is being discussed in class, and if you don’t, you are more prepared to ask the questions that get the answers you need. This semester, I have put forth the effort to try and come prepared to each class, even when I didn’t want to do the reading because I knew I could get by with it. I have had a much more enriching learning experience and have found it is easier to take notes and participate, because notes and lectures aren’t new information, but rather reinforcement of your reading and focusing in on what it was your professor finds most important.
What are ways that you have found to stay focused on class, even when it’s difficult?