Paying attention in class doesn’t come easy for a lot of medical students. Regardless of how thought-provoking the topic is, staying attentive for a one-hour class is a tough nut to crack, especially when you are sleep-deprived, hungry, or simply bored of the lackluster topic your teacher is delivering, or rather droning on, in the class. You won’t be able to glean much benefit from your lectures and learn new information if you can’t stay laser-focused on what is being taught. So, in spite of what the topic is, here are some concentration techniques and essential tips to pay attention in the classroom in order to succeed at your Caribbean medical school.
Get Enough Sleep, Nourish Your Body, and Stay Hydrated
One of the best ways to concentrate in class is to make sure you have got enough sleep so that you don’t nod off every few minutes or your brain is not trying to wander away in oblivion. Staying hydrated is also important to maintaining your focus and staying rejuvenated. Keep a bottle of water with you to stay sufficiently hydrated. In addition, if you find that being hungry ends up distracting you during lectures, keep some healthy snacks such as fruits and nuts in your bag to munch on hastily between classes, even if you are pressed for time. Getting enough sleep, keeping your water intake in check, and getting your fill of power foods to ward off those hunger pangs in a jiffy, can make all the difference.
Fulfilling the nutrients needs of your body can have a great impact on your ability to concentrate. Undoubtedly, life at medical school with a tough study schedule, a host of assignments, research work and a bevy of extracurricular activities, makes it extremely difficult to catch up on snoozes. But at least you can try to get quality sleep, nourish your body with nutritious foods, and stay hydrated to stay attentive in the classroom.
Get Rid of All Distractions
It is quite easy to be distracted and lose your focus in class when other interesting things are happening around you. Get rid of all temptations. Always try to sit at the front of the classroom, so you will be less likely to get away with checking your phone at the slightest of vibrations. In turn, it also nurtures better relationships with your professors. Turn off your phone, sit next to the most intelligent students, move away from boisterous classmates who can distract you and take up too much of your attention during lectures.
Bid Adieu to the Fear of Speaking Out in Class
Articulating in front of the entire classroom may seem daunting for cripplingly shy students. Remember that being able to actively participate in classroom discussions is one of the most effective ways to maintain your concentration and focus on what other students are saying. Participating in discussions not only allows you to stand out from the rest, it also helps you earn respect and impress your professors. If you want to actively participate in discussions, it is advised to prudently go through the last week’s lessons and indulge in some supplemental reading to get an edge over your comprehension.
Take Detailed Notes Effectively
Honing in on your note-taking skills is critical as it can help you stay engaged throughout the class. It is advised to jot down all the important points in a digestible form, instead of trying to scribble down everything that your professor says. Only pen down important key points which will help you in a later recall; if you are only laser-focused on transcribing every single word that leaves the lips of your instructor, chances are that it will undermine your ability to listen attentively and you will inevitably find yourself floundering behind. Take notes effectively as it allows you to concentrate on what is being delivered in the classroom.
Stay Motivated
It becomes even harder to concentrate in the classroom when you have already decided that the topic at hand isn’t all that vital. Perhaps it is a subject that you are planning to drop or one that doesn’t have a direct impact on your final GPA, or a subject that you know won’t help you towards your chosen career. If such is the case, sensibly try to rationalize how the subject would be useful for your future career or take it as an opportunity to broaden your horizon and learn something new. The right motivation will allow you to stay fixated and study with heightened concentration.
To Sum All Things Up
Admittedly, maintaining focus in the classroom is imperative to succeeding in medical school. In fact, the ability to pay attention in lectures can have a positive effect on a students’ ability to boost their academic accomplishments. Regardless of how well you study, if you miss out on an important material that your teacher taught in class, chances are that you won’t be able to earn good grades in exams.
Staying focused and paying attention in class is a pretty difficult task for most medical students. If you want to succeed in a Caribbean medical school and later on in life, follow the above-mentioned concentration techniques to stay more focused in the classroom and achieve great academic results.
