With the new semester in tow, I’ve been trying to put more effort into paying attention in class. It’s been a slight struggle so far, but there are a couple tips and tricks I’ve learned to help me stay on track and focused.
1. Put your phone in away and out of sight
My phone is a huge distraction and it’s so easy to just look at it when I get lost and can’t focus in class. This is why one of the first things I do whenever the professor starts talking is put my phone in my backpack. It’s just like the saying goes “Out of sight, out of mind”.
2. Do not sit next to your friends
This one is super hard for me because I don’t like sitting by myself or asking people I don’t know questions about what is being written or said. But it helps so much because I’m not distracted by talking to my friends about something funny that happens in class or what happened the day or night before. It also helps me branch out and meet new people.
3. Sit near the front
Although sitting this close to the professor can be extremely daunting because they are right there looking down on me, it has made me pay more attention. It’s mainly because the lecturer can see what I’m doing and I know it can be hard to believe, but they can recognize people and may even know who I am. By sitting in the front, I can hear better and it motivates me to focus. Another huge advantage about sitting in the front is that I can see the board clearer. Every semester, I always have at least one class where all my professor does it write on the board. It can be somewhat frutrating because if I don’t sit close enough to the front, it’s hard to see what is being written.
I hope these three tips help you stay more focused and pay more attention in class. They have definitely helped me out! Let us know your tips for paying attention in class by tweeting us @HerCampusPurdue.