How do you focus in class?

[Misanthrope]

There's a fine line between doing this and becoming a dipshit and pissing your teacher off but what I did was trying to prove the teacher wrong. I rarely managed but came up with good questions and usually jumped ahead and helped me keep engaged and participating (again phrase it as a legitimate question to avoid pissing off the teacher)

[terrytek]

Pick interesting classes and teachers. The only classes I ever had a hard time focusing in are math, because no matter what you do it can't be made interesting.

 

I'm in calc 3 now and I still don't play attention during class, I usually sit there and daydream while staring blankly. I pretty much teach everything to myself.

Economics was hella interesting to me and I had a really nice teacher, so maybe it's just a personal difference.

No, if anything, it's pre AP English. Man, I heard that class is going to be sooooo boring. I can't wait for school! *puts on sarcasm face*

[helping]

No, if anything, it's pre AP English. Man, I heard that class is going to be sooooo boring. I can't wait for school! *puts on sarcasm face*

AP English was pretty fun for me as well.

 

It would depend on the teacher again and the content, I suppose.

[terrytek]

AP English was pretty fun for me as well.

 

It would depend on the teacher again and the content, I suppose.

Oh really? Would your English teacher give you summer homework? A test on the first day of school?

[Speedstack79]

I do not focus much in english class, and I do not need to focus much in anything math related because it is all easy for me for the most part but when I see something confusing I actually pay attention, not because I want to ace the exam but because I genuinely want to know how to do the math problem

 

 so try at least acting like you want to learn

[helping]

Oh really? Would your English teacher give you summer homework? A test on the first day of school?

Yes and no, not on the first day but I believe it was within the first week.

 

That was expected of any AP English course because the year is too short, if you didn't read (or at least pretend to) something over the summer then you wouldn't have sufficient content to work with by the end of the year and therefore do poorly on the AP exam.

 

From what I remember, you have to be reasonably well read to pass.

[Kevinkt]

I did alot of heroin.

[terrytek]

Yes and no, not on the first day but I believe it was within the first week.

 

That was expected of any AP English course because the year is too short, if you didn't read (or at least pretend to) something over the summer then you wouldn't have sufficient content to work with by the end of the year and therefore do poorly on the AP exam.

 

From what I remember, you have to be reasonably well read to pass.

Well, now I'm screwed, because I didn't study my book, To Kill a Mockingbird.

[Clyne]

Oh really? Would your English teacher give you summer homework? A test on the first day of school?

Yeah they would give me a test and summer homework. The summer homework was about to read a book and do a log about it, and the test was what the book is about.

[Clyne]

Well, now I'm screwed, because I didn't study my book, To Kill a Mockingbird.

I have to read The Giver

[flibberdipper]

Are you supposed to focus in school?

[helping]

Well, now I'm screwed, because I didn't study my book, To Kill a Mockingbird.

it's k, you can sparknote your way through it and watch the movie instead, it's enough of a supplement to replace reading the actual book.

 

Just be sure to watch the movie first then read all of the sparknotes after and be able to pick out the differences and ignore what the movie changed.

[terrytek]

Yeah they would give me a test and summer homework. The summer homework was about to read a book and do a log about it, and the test was what the book is about.

I had to do a 50 entry dialectical journal and a character personality essay to do. I just finished my journal yesterday. haven't done my essay yet. School starts day after tomorrow.

[flibberdipper]

I have to read The Giver

It was pretty good, if I do say so myself. I hated it at first (since I had to read a book that the teacher made us read, so I thought it would be terrible just because of that), but by the time the rest of the class was halfway through the book, I was done with it. I want to see the movie.

[Clyne]

I had to do a 50 entry dialectical journal and a character personality essay to do. I just finished my journal yesterday. haven't done my essay yet. School starts day after tomorrow.

The log i have to do is similar to yours and have to do a essay too.

[terrytek]

it's k, you can sparknote your way through it and watch the movie instead, it's enough of a supplement to replace reading the actual book.

 

Just be sure to watch the movie first then read all of the sparknotes after and be able to pick out the differences and ignore what the movie changed.

I don't have the movie or the time. I have a party tomorrow, and then school starts the next day.

[Clyne]

It was pretty good, if I do say so myself. I hated it at first (since I had to read a book that the teacher made us read, so I thought it would be terrible just because of that), but by the time the rest of the class was halfway through the book, I was done with it. I want to see the movie.

One year, I had to read a book called Countdown which i hated and other kids too.

[flibberdipper]

One year, I had to read a book called Countdown which i hated and other kids too.

I forgot what book it was (it was set in some shitty underground city and people wanted to escape) that we read in 7th grade, but I liked it.

[Clyne]

I forgot what book it was (it was set in some shitty underground city and people wanted to escape) that we read in 7th grade, but I liked it.

The City of Ember?

[helping]

I don't have the movie or the time. I have a party tomorrow, and then school starts the next day.

...

[terrytek]

...

I'm so stressed, my hair is turning gray and falling out.

[flibberdipper]

The City of Ember?

YES!!! I liked it.

 

I'm so stressed, my hair is turning gray and falling out.

For real? That's happened to me too.

[IcedEskimo]

Normally I just write down whatever the teacher writes on the board into a small notepad/notebook. This helps since you can review whatever the teacher has taught you later and maybe you can understand it better. If you still can't, there are many websites online that can help you out, many for free even, if you missed something in school

[Th3 Mans1ay3r]

I'm ADHD so I can really only run at 70% focus capacity on one thing and the other 30% has to go somewhere or I loose it all.

 

I usually put this extra 30% into something stupid like disassembling and reassembling my pen at faster and faster rates. Rolling a coin between my fingers. If I do that, I'm distracted enough to keep listening to my professors without it just going in one ear or out another.

 

If it's an especially bad day where I can barely focus on any 1 thing I'll lightly read a book I've read a couple of times so the story isn't as engrossing.

 

I can't fully pay attention to video games so I watch Netflix while I play and just run a show I've seen or am mildly interested in so some of my thoughts won't stray.

 

Find your sweet spot with this.

[GaryLChew]

Most of these answers don't give much actual advice for concentrating.  I've always found myself to be incredibly bored and sleepy in most of my classes.  What I've found is that:

1. Having someone you actually want to talk to will help.  Of course don't get to distracted though
2. I've found that drinking water would temporarily keep me from falling asleep.
3. Ask Questions/Discuss.
4. I've always been sleepy after lunch, maybe try changing when you eat (or split it into multiple meals throughout the day).
5. Pinch yourself.
6. Get enough sleep, this should be an obvious one.
7. Sit towards the front.
8. Sit up.
9. Plenty of notes
10. Haven't done this myself but I've heard that exercising in the morning helps.