5 Best Ways to Stay Focused in Class

(especially during online school)

Staying focused in class seems to get harder and harder each year, so I make a point of learning new ways to pay attention in even the most boring classes. Especially now, with online school entering students daily lives, fighting to stay engaged is harder than ever.

Here are the 5 Best Ways to Stay Focused in Class:

#1 Get some sleep. I’m sure you’ve heard this before, but sleep is important. I find that it is much easier to pay attention in class when you are well rested. If you aren’t getting enough sleep, it’s much harder to beat the drowsiness that makes you think about falling asleep rather than Biology. (Sometimes, it’s really difficult to get to sleep early because of the enormous amounts of homework. An article on time management is coming soon.)

#2 When you have a break, take it. Sometimes it is difficult to stop working on a project or studying for a test when I’m nervous, but when I actually eat my lunch and talk to friends instead of continuing to work, I find that it is much easier to focus when I do go back to class. Taking a break is totally necessary, and I think that taking small breaks can allow new information to be absorbed and helps me focus more intensely when I eventually do go back to class.

#3 Actively engage. Actively engage can mean lots of things: take notes, raise your hand, highlight, etc. No matter what you choose to do to stay engaged, do something the whole time. I find that if you are thinking about what to write or highlight or ask about, you are automatically absorbing the information because you have to pay attention in order to know what to write or highlight or ask about.

#4 Look at your teacher and let them look at you. I know that it is intimidating to make eye contact with your teacher (or even show your video on a zoom class), but it will help you stay focused in class. The slight pressure that a teachers eyes will put on you push you to pay attention and stay focused during class. Especially in an online classroom, the lack of discipline can let students slack off, so discipline yourself by simply smiling at your teacher and turning on your camera.

#5 Avoid distractions. This one seems obvious, but it’s the most important. It won’t matter if you sleep well, take your breaks, engage in class, and look at your teacher if you allow distractions to surround you, so do yourself a favor and get rid of your distractors. It can be difficult to sit a few seats away from your friend, delete games on your school device, or not doodle during class, but just a little bit of control will go a long way and help you stay focused on class.

Doing these 5 things will immediately help you stay focused in class so that you can learn much easier and faster.

As always, leave a comment with questions, thoughts, and suggestions for the future!