Nodding off in class is common for students of any age.
Late nights studying, long hours on a job, sitting in a warm classroom after a big lunch, a long evening class, or simply finding the teacher or subject matter a trifle boring all can contribute to classroom sleepiness.
For tips on how to stay awake in class or in any setting that requires your attention, consider the following strategies.
While this may not be easy or appropriate in the middle of a lecture, walking around, jogging in place, doing jumping jacks, or any activity that gets your blood pumping can juice up your energy and attention levels.
If you’re in a long lecture that has a break in the middle, use that time to get up from your seat and move your body. And if there’s no formal break, ask to use the restroom and get a little exercise on the way there and back.
You can also try some chair stretches like shoulder rolls, seated twist, and others.
If you’ve ever seen a new parent pushing a stroller on the sidewalk with an infant aboard, they may be doing more than simply getting out of the house for a few minutes. Being out in fresh air is invigorating.
And if you’re stuck in a classroom or other indoor setting, taking a few deep breaths can help deliver a little more oxygen to your system. That might be just what you need to stay awake and attentive.
Downing a cup or two of coffee, tea, or other caffeinated beverage can be a simple but effective jolt to your senses.
But how much caffeine do you need to be alert? Well, it varies from person to person, in part, based on your sensitivity to this precious ingredient.
Mayo Clinic reports that about 400 milligrams of caffeine per day — about what you’d find in four cups of coffee — is usually plenty to keep a person awake and attentive.
Coffee can sometimes lead to higher spikes in energy and lower dips when the caffeine wears off, so caffeinated tea may have a somewhat milder, more consistent effect than coffee.
Coffee or teas without a lot of added sugar are also healthier choices than sweetened, high-caffeine energy drinks. A 16-ounce energy drink packs a lot of calories and more than twice as much caffeine as a standard cup of coffee.
Staying hydrated is a key strategy employed by long-haul truckers and others who have to put in long hours at tedious jobs.
Fluids help keep your blood flowing, which means your brain is getting plenty of oxygen and nutrients to keep working sharply in and outside of class.
Even becoming slightly dehydrated can cause fatigue, irritability, and other health problems. Having a water bottle with you in class — if it’s allowed — can make a big difference in keeping you hydrated and focused.
Being actively engaged, whether it’s taking notes or participating in a classroom discussion, can help keep you from snoozing during a lecture.
You may just need to occupy your mind more during class, so take good notes. They can be questions or comments on the lecture if there aren’t facts to jot down.
If the class allows for questions and discussions, be the student who raises a hand and keeps the conversation going.
One of the keys to getting a good night’s sleep, which in turn means less daytime sleepiness, is to follow a set schedule of bedtime and wake-up time.
By going to sleep at approximately the same time every day and waking up at the same time, you’re setting your body’s natural clock to know when it’s time to sleep and when it’s time to be awake and learning.
Try to aim for 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night, though if you’re in your teens or 20s, you may need as many as 9 or 10 hours to become fully rested.
Exposure to light, especially in the morning, is one of the simplest and cheapest ways to wake up your mind and body for the day ahead.
Taking a brisk walk in the morning can energize you for hours. If that’s not possible, open up your blinds as soon as you wake up to let the morning sunlight into your home.
Exposure to morning light helps you wake up faster, and perhaps more importantly, it sets your internal clock to be awake during the day and sleepy at night.
Sitting in the back of a large — or even a small — lecture class can put you one step closer to an unplanned nap. It’s a little tougher to fall asleep if you’re in the front row, just a few feet from the teacher.
Mint has many health benefits. One of the most useful in class — apart from making your breath smell better — is how peppermint can help stimulate the hippocampus, which is a key part of the brain involved with alertness, memory, and other thinking skills.
If you’re upset about your grades, the news, or something that happened this morning, your brain expends a lot of energy. It’s going to wear you out and make your tired.
If you’re experiencing emotional exhaustion, problems can range from daytime sleepiness to poor sleep at night, as well as irritability, poor concentration, headaches, increased pessimism, and much more.
Using meditation and relaxation techniques to help cope with stress and anger may help restore your energy and give you a happier outlook.
Even just few days of mindfulness meditation training can help boost your attention and thinking skills.
You may feel more like sitting up, paying attention, and working if you’re wearing business-like clothes as opposed to comfier outfits. It may keep you focused on the work in front of you.
If you struggle to stay awake in class once in a while, just remind yourself to get enough sleep on “school nights” and try the strategies above.
But if you’re consistently sleepy in class or other times during the day, tell a doctor. You may have a condition such as obstructive sleep apnea that’s keeping you from getting enough restorative sleep at night.
Otherwise, a warm cup of tea or coffee, or perhaps a little exercise or meditation may offer more benefits than just helping you keep up with your schoolwork.
by Morganne Darling - January 29th, 2020 - College Knowledge, Joining JSOM, Student Life
Contents
Sleeping in class.
We’ve all done it, even if we don’t want to admit it. There are thousands of different positions
to doze off in class, but I’ve compiled together a few of my favorites.
One of the most common ways students fall asleep, this occurs when the lecture is passive and you’re just “resting your eyes”.
Sometimes you just want to sleep in class but you don’t want to be seen as disrespectful, so you hide behind a notebook, computer, or folder. Anything to make it look like you’re paying attention when in reality you’re catching some z’s.
This one’s kind of rare, but sometimes, it’s hard to keep your eyes open, even when you’re taking notes. This may have happened because you wanted to watch another episode of The Mandalorian…
The “Way too comfortable” SleepSometimes you don’t care if you’re being disrespectful, you just really need some sleep and attendance. So you show up to class to get counted present, then you settle in and close your eyes.
But a question remains… Should you sleep in class?
Now seeing someone in any of these positions is pretty amusing, but imagine being that person, the one who falls asleep in class. It’s a pretty scary experience because you don’t know how long you were asleep for if the teacher noticed, and what topics they went over while you were getting your beauty rest. Make sure you take advantage of Student Resources if you are having a hard time.
Well, there’s no need to fear because I’m here to give you some tips and tricks to keep yourself awake during those long class lectures! Part of being successful in college is managing to stay awake.
Every time you get that tired feeling or you start to zone out, drink some water.
Drinking cold water helps
keep you hydrated to keep you focused. If you don’t drink enough water, your body doesn’t function as
well as it could.
Being closer to the teacher is a great motivator to stay awake in class. Studies have also proven that sitting in the front of the classroom, leads students to receive higher grades on exams. Win-win, am I right?
Interact with your professor! Even if they don’t provide engaging activities, you can make them. Don’t be afraid to ask questions.
By taking deeper breaths, you raise your oxygen levels, slowing your heart rate, lowering your blood
pressure, and improving circulation.
Chewing something activates specific regions of the brain meaning your brain becomes more active and you stay more awake!
So you can wake up early and feel well-rested.
The adrenaline from working out, taking a stroll, stretch, or doing some jumping jacks before class will help you stay awake.
If you focus on sitting straight up in your seat, you won’t be able to fall asleep. You rest your head and you will crash and burn.
It keeps you active and it helps you focus on what you’re learning in class.
Even if it’s random scribbles,
it’s better than being asleep.
If you get tired, just find a spot in the classroom where you are not distracting anyone and walk about back and forth or take notes while standing.
With these tricks, you won’t end up like our friend at the beginning (hopefully)! Do you have any tricks to share with us? Leave us a comment. As about our Management Programs.
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A great starter course in risk management is the Foundations of Risk Analytics and Applications class (RMIS 4338). This course has no prerequisites and is taught by professor Steven Haynes.
This past December 1st, Ambassador Ranganathan visited the UT Dallas campus to discuss the relationship between the Indian and US college systems and how we can continue to build young leaders who think from an international perspective.
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Anyone who has ever tried to focus on a very difficult or very boring job can attest that it can be incredibly difficult at times. Science offers us five seemingly counterintuitive ways, which, however, should help. nine0018
The internet is full of advice on how to focus when everything around you is distracting. However, many of these tips are either too far from reality, or suggest disconnecting yourself from the office routine if possible (and then you already start to be distracted by thoughts that you may be missing something important).
How many of us, for example, enjoy working with headphones all day long? Or never look at social networks, or even turn off the Internet altogether? Or maybe it's as simple as "always treat your work as inspiring and fun"? nine0011
But perhaps most importantly, a lot of this advice has very little to do with what modern psychology already knows about the human mind.
Much of what we thought was supposed to help us focus on work actually goes against the normal workings of our brains.
So, if there is a science of concentration, then what does it offer us that are not written about on the Internet?
Can't concentrate on important work? It may sound counterintuitive, but letting your brain shut down, letting it wander aimlessly is the best thing to do.
More and more psychologists are coming to understand that we all spend a very significant part of the day just dreaming and aimlessly fantasizing - by some estimates, about 50% of the time! nine0011
What prompted a number of psychologists to think that this is mind wandering - as they say, "not a bug, but a feature", not a malfunction in the brain, but an important part of the system that helps our brain to function normally.
Image copyright, iStock
Image caption,If you still spend half your time daydreaming and fantasizing, maybe you should consciously set aside some time for this?
To understand why we lose focus, just look at how the brain works. nine0011
Concentration requires concerted action, a kind of networking of different areas of the brain, including its frontal cortex, which, among other things, is responsible for counteracting distractions and controlling our natural desire to do something more interesting.
It takes a lot of energy to keep this network functioning, much more than the group of brain regions involved in our doing nothing, fantasizing and dreaming.
Therefore, at some point in the working day, we inevitably slow down, and our mind begins to wander. nine0011
In that case, if it's unavoidable, why not set aside time for it more consciously?
Paul Seli, a psychologist at Harvard University, distinguishes between intentional and accidental brain shutdowns. According to him, only those cases when it happens by accident are harmful to the case.
People who know how to turn off their brain for those moments when its participation is not required - for example, when performing some kind of mechanical work - as a rule, they cope with tasks more successfully than those who give their brain the freedom to switch off and on. nine0011
"If the task is easy, then you can deliberately turn off the brain, let your mind go where it wants, and this will not affect the result of the work," says Seli. In his opinion, such conscious disconnections will only help at other points in the working day when deep concentration is needed. nine0011
"Think about something irrelevant - maybe a completely different problem. And after a while return to your task," recommends the psychologist.
By allowing yourself to switch off and daydream, you not only get rid of subconscious guilt about it, but also give your brain what it needs.
Image credit: iStock
Image captionOne study recommends making workplaces more casual, fun, and relaxed
Funny cat videos are often viewed as the epitome of distraction, but some psychologists believe that cat videos help us get in the right mental state to successfully complete our day's work.
The fact is that, no matter how much we love our work, we need a special effort of will and thought in order to be concentrated on a difficult task for a long time.
According to a recent study, one of the best ways to tap into your willpower and mental abilities is to laugh heartily. nine0011
In the experiments, people who were given a funny video worked longer and harder to solve an unanswered riddle than did controls who were shown relaxing but not funny videos.
The researchers concluded that humor replenishes our reserves so effectively that it is recommended to create a more relaxed, fun atmosphere in the workplace.
"A fun team environment improves productivity," says David Chen, a leadership researcher at the Australian National University in Canberra.
"Of course, this doesn't mean that everyone has to watch cat videos all day long. However, it's very useful to take a break from time to time. Especially when you're tired."
To properly concentrate on your work, you need to get rid of all external distractions, right? In fact, according to one influential theory of attention, just the opposite is true. nine0011
Nilli Lavy, a psychologist at University College London, proposed this theory, which she called the 'Load Theory' in 1955.
The idea was that there is a limit to how much information from the outside world our brains can digest at any given time.
And when all the processing capacities are full, the attention system of the brain itself begins to choose what to focus on.
Image copyright, iStock
Image caption,Is your desk so cluttered that it's hard for you to figure out what's where? Nilli Lavy's experiments show you're about to do something big
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Levy's experiments have shown that we seem to work more efficiently not at empty, clean desks and in complete silence, but in disorder and chaos. nine0011
This is because when all the cells of perception are filled, the brain focuses all energy on the most important task. Everything else is just cut off.
The problem with putting this idea into practice is to provide the right amount of distractions and not over-load.
There are already dedicated mobile apps (eg ommwriter or focus@will) that can add visual or musical distractions at your request, but none of these have yet been scientifically tested. Perhaps they are no more useful than simply turning on the radio. nine0011
The main thing here is to give your brain enough exercise so that it doesn't have the opportunity and desire to look elsewhere for stimuli.
For most of us, it all comes down to trial and error, but since this method is very tedious, we advise you to use it with caution - only when all the others have failed.
When you need to do something urgently, taking a break is the last thing on your mind. nine0011
However, there is plenty of evidence that taking a break can help you achieve more. The main thing is to decide when exactly to take it, for how much and what to do at that time.
According to a number of studies done in the 1990s, our natural lucidity cycle works so that we can fully concentrate for a period of no more than 90 minutes, and then we need a 15-minute break.
Other research has found that even a minimal break of a few seconds can work - but only if it provides a complete distraction from the current task. nine0011
In experiments, people were asked to perform arithmetic operations for several seconds - that is, to occupy their minds with something much more intense than simply looking out the window.
Image copyright, Getty Images
Image caption, For those who can get away from the computer keyboard, running in the middle of the day is a very good option. A cup of coffee will be a good addition to it before you get back to work. nine0011
Going for a run or just a walk in nature will certainly help your brain cope better with tasks that require a high degree of concentration.
Another option is meditation. There is ample evidence that those who have learned to meditate have better control of their attention and more accurately feel when it is time to take a break.
If all of the above seems too time-consuming for you, here's the good news: with or without exercise, a cup of strong coffee improves memory, reaction time and attentiveness - albeit for a fairly short time.
So whatever your break, don't forget to pour yourself a coffee when you get back to work.
Image copyright iStock
Image captionIs exercise not your thing? A dose of caffeine will provide a short-term period of concentration
When you need to stay focused for long periods of time, take frequent breaks, according to a study by Joe Degutis and Mike Esterman of the Boston Attention and Learning Laboratory (Massachusetts, USA).
Through a series of experiments, they found that the most successful strategy for staying focused is to work a little and then take a short break. Those who tried to stay focused all the time ended up making more mistakes. nine0011
Christian Olivers of the Free University of Amsterdam came to a similar conclusion in his study: people's attention span does not dry up a little longer if you ask them to occasionally distract themselves and think about something else instead of constant, uninterrupted concentration on business.
And this is probably the most important conclusion of all studies of the human ability to concentrate. The more we learn about how the brain works, the clearer it becomes for us: stress is the enemy of concentration. nine0011
So try to find time for those exercises or little tricks that will help you feel calmer and more confident in yourself. And everything will work out for you.
Read the original of this article in English is fashionable on the website BBC Capital.
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Hola, querida. I know, I know: the school year is a mini-version of hell, but it’s definitely not worth scoring lessons. What to do if there is no strength left? First, get some rest, because your health is not iron, and then use these super-useful tips that will definitely make you an excellent student. 1. Find your learning style Maybe if this article was written by Nadia, but you are dealing with the best student of Las Encinas, so get ready to receive new information. nine0011
American psychologist Howard Gardner came up with seven learning styles, and to get better at it, you need to find yours. Now I will quickly talk about each, and you think which one suits you best.
Visuospatial . Suitable for those who most of all like to work with images and graphics. If you're one of those, try taking notes using visual methods, like a mind map that represents ideas through images.
Kinestatic . It is easiest for such people to learn by doing something at the same time. They need to touch things, act out scenes and keep moving. If you have noticed this in yourself, then the best thing for you to learn is by walking and listening to podcasts. And if you need to read something, then do it while walking around the room.
Musical . Rhythm helps people with this type of intelligence learn. Play quiet music in the background - if it helps you focus and work better, then you hit the bull's-eye. nine0011
Intrapersonal . Method for true introverts. If you are the kind of person who generates energy by reading books, then you are just lucky :)
Interpersonal . This one is for extroverts. Such people (surprisingly, but true!) in their studies are helped by communication. In this case, just do your homework in a group with friends or chat with someone alone in parallel.
Linguistic . For those who are good with words. To memorize large amounts of information, it is enough for them to read aloud, and then all the necessary facts fit into the head on the shelves. Try it - maybe this is just your case. nine0011
Logical and mathematical . These are logical and rational people who love to solve problems and puzzles (note: at the same time, it is very important for them that a clear answer awaits them at the end; they do not want to solve something just like that). If this description fits you, then focus on "logical" things: for example, try to think about how much what you are studying has value in real life.
What distracts you most while studying? Of course, social media. Believe me, I also update Instagram (an extremist organization banned in Russia) 256 times a day, but when I sit down to do my homework, I prefer to block it for a while so as not to scroll through a bunch of messages in the ever-bursting direct. Fortunately, there are now many useful blockers that do all the work for us, so willpower does not have to be trained.
Guzman is ideal, but not everyone in this world is so lucky. Anyway, social interaction will help you get a second wind when you feel squeezed out of your studies. After all, you must admit, sometimes it happens that you feel exhausted, and then you come to a party or any social event and immediately feel this obscure energy flashing inside?
There is a scientific explanation for this (very simple, actually). Social interaction releases oxytocin, which reduces cortisol levels, and from there comes a reduction in stress levels. Less stress means more opportunities to learn new information. But here are some more perks for you:0011
You will hear a different point of view and maybe it will lead you to a couple of interesting thoughts.
Your study buddy might have heard the information in the lesson that you for some reason missed.
When you study with someone, you formulate your ideas out loud, and they immediately become clear.
You can act as a teacher for your homework partner and we all know that the best way to learn is to teach ;)
You won't believe it, but this exists. If you start to fall asleep while doing your homework, then you should check the temperature of the room you are in. A curious study was conducted a couple of years ago: when high school students wrote tests, they adjusted the temperature and looked at how their scores correlated with this. And the results are very interesting! nine0011
It turned out that students perform better on assignments when the temperature in the classroom reaches 22 degrees Celsius. Compare:
16 degrees Celsius: the student’s average score amounted to 76%
22 degrees Celsius: the student’s average score was 90%
27 degrees Celsius: the average score of the students was 72%
Conclusion: if you are tired of studying, try setting the temperature to 22 degrees in your room. Maybe it will work for you too? nine0011
