There will be numerous times in college where your lectures can be, well, boring. I get it. Sitting in a desk and listening to a professor for an hour, or God forbid, 3 hours can be such a daunting and even unfair task. But, there is hope and good news! You can find ways to stay awake, pay attention, and even take good notes. Staying away in a lecture can lead you to sleep more at night, and here’s how.
1) Bring Coffee or Something to Drink
This isn’t High School anymore; for the most part drinks and food will be allowed into the classrooms by your professors. Buying a good water bottle can be a good investment on your end, rather than purchasing drinks from the vending machine all the time. Having something to drink can often revive us for a little bit, especially if there is caffeine in it!
2) Bring a Snack
Food gives us energy. So, if you’re looking to stay awake in class, sometimes a little sugar and calories is just what we need to get our motors turning. Don’t forget, however, that sometimes this means eating before a class so that the sugar has enough time to kick in. If you have an early morning class, breakfast can quickly become a lifeline for you.
3) Commit Yourself To Paying Attention
Sometimes we nod off in class or get distracted simply because we already believed we would. In this way, we set ourselves up for success. Instead, set it in your mind to pay attention and take the best notes you can.
4) Taking Good Notes
If you’re just sitting there in class and not actually doing anything, you can quickly lose focus. Don’t give yourself room for getting distracted; make sure you are diligent to write down keywords that the professor says, concepts you must remember, relevant questions that come up in class, and even things you want to look into more. If you have a laptop, note taking can become easier but be aware that you are more prone to go on Facebook (or even Yahoo!) if you have it with you. But, if you have self control, then go ahead and bring it; you can type down more notes, look up what your professor is saying, and highlight certain notes that you believe will be on the next test.
5) Interact if You Can
If your lecture is discussion based or interactive in any way, take advantage of that. When you have a question, ask it. If you have a comment, don’t be shy! Talking in this type of setting will not only boost your participation grade, but it will help you stay awake since you’ll actually be active. Also, sometimes this can make your class go quickly and even be fun. All of my favorite classes through college have been ones where interaction and discussions were important.
There are so many ways that can help you pay attention and stay awake. Test things out and see what works for you. The main thing to remember, though, is that a little effort now will save you in the long run. If you are investing your efforts and time in the classroom, you might start grasping things quicker and thus not have to spend as much time studying. Ultimately, it comes down to being present, not just in location, while in the classroom. In the words of a Christian missionary named Jim Elliot, “wherever your are, be all are,”
