How to stay interested in class

by | Nov 10, 2019

We all have that one subject or class that we struggle to just stay awake in. The hours seem to drag and information seems to be passing over our head in a blur. In most cases, however, we really do need to learn the subject because it counts for a mark or credit of some kind. So we can’t just carry on tuning out in class. The ability to sit through boring classes and meetings is a life skill in itself. Read on to find out how to master this skill.

Avoid distractions

The first tip in ensuring that you stay focused and interested in the lesson being delivered is making sure that you avoid any distractions that may prevent you from paying attention. Turn your phone off. Try not to sit next to or close to your friends if you know you’ll be tempted to talk to them throughout the lesson. Limiting distractions to your learning is crucial because a moment of distraction might mean that you miss a key part of the lesson which may make it harder to keep up and stay interested later on.

Get enough sleep

If you are struggling to stay awake, it will make the challenge of staying interested in class that bit much more difficult. Make sure that you get plenty of sleep the night before – particularly if you know that a subject or class that you find it difficult to connect with is coming up the next day. Creating and sticking to a sleep routine will help.

Eat right

Getting a nutritious and balanced meal is also important to ensure that your body and mind have the energy they need to focus and process the new information. Be careful not to eat too much food though, especially ones with lots of simple sugars which is often found in fast food and drinks.

These will release energy very quickly, giving you a quick burst of energy and then leave you feeling drained for the rest of the day. At breakfast try to avoid too much sugar and have a nutritious blend of wholemeal bread or oats and some fruit.

Be prepared

Staying focused in class can also be difficult when you have no idea of what is going on in the lesson ahead.

A good way to overcome this is by reading up beforehand on what the lesson will be. You can read ahead from your textbook or even watch a small video clip around the issue.

Feeling confident that you know what’s going will help you stay engaged and also alert you when you miss a bit or get lost as you can navigate your way through the material.

Do more research

The task of staying interested in a subject does not finish once you leave the classroom. Try reading up and around what you’ve learnt in class after it is over. Investigate why what you are learning is important or significant. How does the particular thing that you’ve learnt about in class today impact other issues in the world?

Does it allow you to be able to build anything new; does it explain or clarify an important issue or phenomena; is it used in industry or have important implications for how we live our lives? Being able to understand how what you’re learning in class translates to the real world will give you an appreciation for the subject and also help you remember it more easily.

When you leave school and enter higher education or start your career, you will be continuously learning about whatever industry or subject you have chosen to pursue. Doctors have to keep training throughout their careers to keep up with the latest medical practices. Builders and engineers need to maintain their professional certificates and qualifications to use the most recent technology and tools. So learning to keep yourself interested in a subject, even if it’s not your favourite one, is an essential skill for life, not just school.