It seems like just a second ago, I was in one of those too-small desks in Tureaud Hall. Now, I’m in the middle of the jungle with perfectly tame monkeys swinging from branch to branch. It’s really fantastic out here. It’s sunny, yet cool. The birds are audible, yet quiet. And how are they getting that waterfall to flow so smoothly? It’s almost as if ­—
Oh yeah, I’m in class.
The people sitting adjacent to me are staring at me again. No, I’m not a bad student. It’s just that you haven’t seen this waterfall! It’s so beautiful, and if you look at it just the right way, you can see the reflection of this unicorn-type thing. Except it’s not really a unicorn. It’s really more like a — ah, I’m doing it again!
There are the people who skip class, and we all know that’s not a good idea. But what about those of us who can’t seem to pay attention once we’re sitting there?
It’s not like I don’t want to absorb material in class. I want good grades, and I’m genuinely interested in the topics my courses cover. It’s just that no matter how hard I try, I always end up staring into space, twiddling my thumbs to the beat of some stupid pop song I don’t even like or counting how many times I can think the word “attention” before the professor switches to the next slide.
So how does one deal with such a problem?
The important thing is to determine whether you have a concentration problem or a laziness problem. If it’s laziness, you should do whatever you can to fix that. It helps to make sure you’re actually taking notes in class. Try sitting near the front. Maybe even leave your phone at home to minimize distractions.
If none of these work for you, it might be a genuine attention-span issue, and you might need to resort to alternative measures. First, you could just explain the issue to a doctor and see what they say. There are several cases of success with this method. I, however, prefer to make things difficult, so I’ve never considered doing such a thing.
If you also enjoy the unnecessary challenges in life, there’s a proven method for you too: Sit in class and watch everyone else learn. Feel guilty for not doing so yourself. Learn as little as possible to finish your homework as it’s due. Then, the night before the test, panic and stay up all night praying for the best grade the gods will allow.
It’s up to you to decide which procedure better suits you. With my abundant experience in the latter, I wholeheartedly recommend the former. I would hope you readers have a little bit more presence of mind than I do.
Either way, it’s important to be realistic about the type of person you are. Sure, some people can do the responsible thing, and you know who you are. That’s phenomenal. You can rest easy knowing you’ll get the satisfaction of laughing at the rest of us while we scramble, because unfortunately, some of us are just doomed to have our watches constantly set to the last minute.
But when it comes down to it, no matter how you decide to handle your focus problem (if you have one), you’re going to have to put in the effort.
Ryan Monk is a 21-year-old chemical engineering senior from Lake Charles, Louisiana. You can reach him on Twitter @RyanMonkTDR.