I have always had a short attention span when it comes to lectures in school. Back then, our lectures were usually set for two hours. Although, sometimes, some lecturers went beyond that. We would also have back-to-back lectures, which would span almost the entire day.
During the first few minutes of lectures, I would be focused, but once it gets to an hour or so, I begin to lose interest and focus. I might be in class, watching the lecturer talk, but I'm processing very little. I guess it's a case of hearing but not listening. The lectures really get boring for me, sometimes to the point that I begin to feel sleepy.
I remember one time when a lecturer decided to ask questions at the end of her lecture, and I was the first person she pointed at. I guess she noticed that I wasn't following the lecture anymore, and she probably saw how sleepy I was. When she pointed at me to answer the question, I didn't know what the answer was. So I tried to beat around the bush and use common knowledge, but she knew what I was doing and said I was wrong. She told me to pay attention next time. At that moment, I was glad that that was all she said, and she didn't go further to embarrass me.
So for me, the crucial things have to be said in the first hour of a lecture. Most times, what I do to combat the loss of interest is to leave the class for that moment, distract myself a little, and then get back to the lecture. My focus would return for a few more minutes.
Even when it comes to writing notes, I'm not good at that. I don't have that consistency to keep writing during a lecture, trying to capture the crucial things said by the lecturer. It's stress for me. I'm the type that likes to listen attentively. In those minutes, my focus is still on rather than combining it with taking down notes.
I'm not saying that taking notes is bad, it just wasn't my thing. In fact, what I usually did was to meet my good friends who were always good at taking notes and photocopy theirs. Their notes were always complete. Those friends can be classified as lifesavers in school because they helped me a lot in that aspect.
You might be wondering how I successfully made it through school with my short attention span. Well, I knew my limitations and I found my way around it. People usually say that the first step to solving a problem is realizing that there is a problem. Knowing I had a short attention span during lectures, I had to find ways to make sure it didn't affect me negatively in my academics. Like I mentioned earlier, I usually took notes from my friends so that I can study extensively. I also discussed with classmates after the lectures so that we could go over what the lecturer said. That way, I wouldn't miss much.
Looking back, I'm glad and proud that I made it through school despite this shortcoming.
This is my entry for Day 28 of the April inleo writing initiative. You can learn more about it here
Images are mine