Finding college lectures stodgy and sleep inducing isn’t strange.
Why does it happen even when you’re the most serious about studying?
May be because the delivery of education is ineffective.
There is not one particular reason for this failure of college lectures among students.
The reasons are varied- bland and unmotivating teaching techniques. Least interaction among professor and students. The negative attitude among students. And more such things.
Each one of us have had those teachers that possessed the power to influence. And, we would regard them all our lives. We can never praise them enough for how they made great efforts to make us understand even a basic point.
But, if more than half of the college-goers find their classes unbearable, there must be something wrong.
Okay. That’s another story.
We, here, will talk on how to survive the mind numbing and butt hurting college lectures.
Check out these ways to stir your otherwise stagnant learning sessions:
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Embrace Positive Attitude
If you’ve already made up your mind against the classes, there’s no way you can ever find them attractive.
You should try to adopt a positive stance. Enter every class with a new hope. No lecturer can be equally boring on all days. At least, I never came across anyone who is.
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Jot Down New Words
New words!
They make you more eloquent. More precise. More expressive.
And, what time would be a better time than this to revise them?
Challenge yourself to write down at least 12 words that you’ve learned lately. No matter how you got aware of their existence- through a brand name, in your textbook, movie, tv show, newspaper.
Just scribble them. If you don’t know or remember the meaning of any word, Google.
Much better than waiting for the class to end?
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Read
A lot of amazing writers have written a lot of excellent books.
Do yourself a favour by reading them.
Fiction. Non-fiction. Whatever suits your taste.
Reading has enormous benefits.
Reading is a good habit that you must have. Hide your book behind your textbook, and you’ll never find the boring lecture too long.
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Keep Raising Questions
Raising questions is a nice way to stay attentive throughout the class. Make it a habit to not let go off any doubt that your mind raises.
Most of the times, the class seems drab and unexciting because we find it difficult to comprehend.
Perhaps because sometimes lecturers use jargon, or there is a term that has been explained by the professor earlier, but, you just somehow missed it.
And, because of missing those terms, to proceed becomes hard. If you keep asking questions throughout the class, you’ll get acquainted with the terms. And, you’ll find it easy flowing through the lecture.
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Write
There are a few smart websites like Quora and Goodreads where you can hone your writing skills. If you’ve always had an interest in writing or you wish to improve your writing knack. You must check out and spend time at these websites.
While Quora is a place where you can ask questions about almost any topic and answer the questions asked by others, Goodreads is a paradise for book lovers. At Goodreads, you can read the reviews of book lovers from across the world and pen down your own reviews.
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Doodle
All my school textbooks were full of those messy cartoons. I was never good at drawing. But, that joy of letting the pencil or pen flow the way I wanted was always irresistible.
And, a recent research suggests that doodling is far from being a waste of time.
Check out the video to know how:
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Write Down Difficult Terms And Google Them Afterwards
Some lectures involve a lot of technical terms, don’t they?
And that makes you scratch your head. Comprehending what the teacher is trying to say becomes hard.
And consequently, you lose interest in the class. But, there’s something that you can do about it.
What?
Why not write down all those difficult words?
Forget about what the teacher is trying to say. Forget about the meaning of the words. Just write them down and once the class gets over, look for their meanings.
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Write Down The Name of Your Favourite Books And Their Authors
Jot down the name of your favourite authors and the books by them. The books that you’ve read and the books that you’d like to read.
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Learn a New Language
All you need is a smartphone and earphones.
Download Duolingo.
And start learning a new language.
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Ponder Over Your Future Plans
This is an ideal time for self-reflection.
Have you any plans for the coming years? What would you do after graduation? Would you like to study further or start working? Or you’d like to take a gap year?
There are certain questions that you must ask yourself before choosing a career. And I believe this time could be used for the purpose.
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Think of The Place That You’ll Go To Hang Out Next
Let your mind wander to the next place you plan to hang out to. The food you’ll eat there. The chitter chatter that’ll go on there.
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Budgeting
Most of the college-goers are very tight on budget. And, the list of expenses- even if you keep ticking off items, never shrinks.
Haircut. Clothes. Shoes. Bag. Deodorant. Phone Cover. Earphones. Hanging out.
So, why not try budgeting?
And what time would be better than this. While killing the time, you’ll also be able to manage your finances. And, I know, it is not always as easy to stick to the budget as it is to make it, but, then, you should never quit, should you?
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Make Notes
This, I believe, is the best way to survive a boring lecture. Even if your brain cannot bear to focus on the mind-numbing lecture, you can still take home something by jotting down some important points.
Though it isn’t as fun as the other ways, it is the most fruitful. The time when you’ll have your exams approaching, notes would be the only thing you’ll need.
Handwritten notes always look easier than gigantic textbooks.
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Think of Idyllic Holiday Locations
While everything is so dull and monotonous, why don’t you set out to visit a pleasant far-off city?
Okay. And trust me you don’t need to separate your butt and chair for the purpose.
Googlemaps can take you almost anywhere you wish to head. And you’ll never realize when the lecture got over.