Being attentive during a lesson is of utmost importance that is the best way to learn and internalise information effectively. During classes in school or during one-to-one home tuition, or even group tuition, tutors would point out important information, and should students not be attentive during that lesson, they would lose out on learning about concepts in depth. This is important as exams do not test on students’ ability to regurgitate content; rather, it tests on their ability to apply concepts to solve problems.
So, here are some tips for students to stay focused during lessons!
YOUR HEALTH
Firstly, eating well and sleeping well before any lesson is crucial. There are always a handful of students who are fast asleep on their desks in every classroom. Some students may have been staying up late doing their homework and projects while others may have been gaming all night. Regardless of the reason, this should not be the case for any student.
There is always time during the day or even during the weekends to finish homework and play games. Sacrificing precious sleep time during the weekdays will make it very difficult for students to stay awake and focused during lessons. Thus, it is important for students to learn to manage their time and prioritise their sleep.
Similarly, there are also students who are unable to focus during lessons as they are too hungry. They either zone out due to hunger or snack during classes instead of focusing on the lesson.
TAKE DOWN SOME NOTES
Students should have the habit of taking notes. This is something that many students think is unnecessary and may even think that it distracts them from the lesson. They believe that if they decide to put in the effort to take notes, they may accidentally miss important information while doing so.
Other students simply do not see the point in taking notes since they have their own textbooks and online sources anyway while other students trust their memory over taking notes. What they fail to realise is that taking notes not only helps them retain useful information more easily, it also helps them stay focused on the lesson.
When students physically make the effort to take notes, they subconsciously pay more attention to what their teacher is saying and overall get a better understanding of the lesson.
PARTICIPATION
Thirdly, students should be more involved during lessons and take more initiative. Throughout the lesson, the teacher may call on students to present their answers, answer questions, ask questions, etc. Many students may be too shy to volunteer for these and some may not be confident enough and be afraid of messing up in front of everyone.
Although these are very valid concerns, students must try their best to overcome their fears and for some, their laziness. It may be difficult to suddenly start volunteering for everything but students must try to develop this habit in a gradual manner. At the same time, it is important not to be too excited and volunteer unnecessarily as in some cases it might disrupt the lesson and it also results in less opportunity for others to try.
This is especially the case for asking questions as although it may be important to do so, students must understand when and how to ask them so as not to disrupt the lesson.
ELIMINATE DISTRACTIONS
Students should eliminate all possible distractions during lessons. When the lesson starts to become boring or confusing, it is common for students to whip out their handphones or other personal electronic devices and award themselves a few minutes of break. Although they may feel more refreshed and ready to listen after using these devices, they are simply just avoidable distractions.
Many students end up having a shorter attention span because they have the ability and opportunity to use these devices during lessons. Instead, students should lock these up in their lockers or shut them down so that they are unable to use them even if they wanted to. Distractions can also refer to other schoolwork unrelated to the lesson such as notes and homework of other subjects.
Being productive does not give students the excuse to not pay attention during classes. It is important for students to keep away all unnecessary items and keep only the materials that they need for the lesson as this will eliminate the majority of distractions!