You’ve probably found your mind drifting into daydreams as lectures drone on and on in the background. When it comes to sitting in class and concentrating, it’s often easier said than done. Whether it’s a subject you’re not particularly interested in or just an “off” day, distractions will find their way into your brain.
However, there are things you can do to bring yourself into the moment and pay attention when you need to. Keep reading to learn some tips and tricks about how to stay focused in class.
Key takeaways
- It’s important to identify your learning style.
- Keeping your body and mind healthy is essential for focus.
- Organizing your days and keeping distractions at bay is crucial.
- CBD and other supplements may help you focus.
Identify your learning style
Every single person is different - and so is their learning style. Identifying what works for you is essential to becoming a study master. Let’s explore some of the most common learning styles:
Auditory
If you’re an auditory learner, you probably grasp most concepts when you are listening to lectures undistracted. People who prefer the auditory learning style often have excellent memory, good public speaking abilities, high communication skills, ample listening aptitudes, and do their best in oral presentations and exams.
If you prefer telling and listening to stories over reading them, this might be the right strategy for you.
Visual
For visual learners, it’s all about what they see. If your best bet when cramming for an exam is using all the colors of the rainbow to create a study guide, visual learning might be your thing.
Graphics, images, lots of colors, and maps probably help you retain more information than just sitting and listening to the professor drone on. Visual learners often have a slight photographic memory, which means you’ll visualize the information when needed.
If you’re good at remembering names and faces, are great at lip-reading, have difficulty concentrating with noise pollution, and are drawn to visuals, this might be your preferred learning style.
Tactile/kinesthetic
Tactile or kinesthetic learners like to get down and dirty with the information provided. Rather than etching information into their memory, they need to physically touch or do an activity to best grasp the concepts. If you’re a tactile or kinesthetic learner, a hands-on approach is best.
If you learn best when you’re moving around, tend to overlook instructions, hate feeling confined, and are easily distracted, you might benefit from this learning style.
Make sure you’re hydrated
You’ve probably heard “you need eight cups of water a day” often. While that notion is a little outdated, it is important to stay hydrated. Whenever you’re thirsty, drink. If you don’t feel thirsty often, make sure you’re still hydrating often (even setting reminders if necessary).
When you’re hydrated, your brain will thank you and allow you to retain more information, pay closer attention, and feel better throughout the day.
Start your day well-rested
Another important aspect of focusing during class is making sure you’re well-rested and pumped for the day. Getting enough hours of sleep is essential, but not everyone has an easy time with that.
If you and sleep have a toxic relationship, you can turn to products that help you get your well-deserved beauty sleep and stay focused during the day.
Try out our FOCL Day capsules to get an extensive blend of adaptogens and CBD that’ll help you stay attentive all day long and power through classes. With Lion’s Mane that beats brain fog, Rhodiola Rosea for fatigue, L-theanine to improve concentration and focus, Vitamin B6 to regulate your mood, Bacopa Monnieri to keep your attention tiptop, and CBD to keep the body and mind relaxed, these capsules are a must-have.
For an even more complete focus supplement package, take a look at FOCL’s Focus Bundle. FOCL Day will help you stay attentive during the long hours of school, while CBD drops support concentration and help you feel well-rested. Additionally, Better Together can be taken every morning to help amplify productivity and ease an anxious mind.
Eliminate distractions
The enemy of concentration is distraction. When your mind is somewhere else, it’s hard to grasp all the concepts you need to learn about the subject at hand.
Although it’s a difficult habit to get into, saying goodbye to compulsive phone-checking and leaving unimportant conversations for later can greatly impact the way you learn and retain information.
Be involved in the discussion
Getting involved with the subject matter along with professors and students can be a great way to stay focused and interested when learning.
If you’re a natural chatty mouth, this should come easy. If you’re not, the classroom is a great place to get out of your comfort zone. When you’re participating in class discussions or asking questions, you’ll be actively thinking, debating, and creating scenarios that help you retain information.
Keep your brain active by taking detailed notes
There’s a reason why teachers want you to take notes. Not only is it a hands-on activity that helps you stay focused, but it also helps you in the long run when you need to go back to the information at hand. Instead of passively listening, you’re actively doing something about the information you receive.
You can either write down the professor’s notes as they are or in the way you perceive and understand them. Using colored pens and highlighters can also help you with this process (especially if you’re a visual learner).
Stay organized with a calendar for deadlines
Deadlines, homework, exams, and important lectures are difficult to keep track of. When you keep an organized calendar that helps you track them, it becomes a million times easier. Plus, there are so many ways to do it.
You can use a printed calendar to write down important dates, use an organizational app, write them down in your notebook, or even use reminders on your phone to keep up to date with all the deadlines.
There’s just one rule: make sure you write down important dates the moment you’re told about them.
Find sources of motivation & reward
One of the main enemies of learning and focus is a lack of motivation. The worst thing about it is how common it is and how difficult it can be to overcome it. It can be especially hard when you’re not interested in the subject matter, but there are things you can do to make it easier on yourself.
Try motivating yourself by thinking about the short- and long-term goals you can achieve by excelling in (or even just passing) a class.
If this isn’t up your alley, try a rewards system: every time you reach a milestone, give yourself a pat on the back and a little treat. You can reward yourself with your favorite snack, buy a little knick-knack, or watch your favorite movie.
Natural ways to stay focused while studying
Nature is filled with things you can use to your advantage when you are struggling with focus and motivation. By filling your diet with brain-friendly foods, you’ll be doing yourself a huge favor.
Nuts and other healthy fats contain Vitamin E, which helps with cognitive function. Dark chocolate contains caffeine, which will give you a boost of energy. Blueberries are great for focus, while vitamins and supplements can help you maintain and increase cognitive function.
Last, but not least, CBD may help people focus. More on that is below.
Can CBD help you focus?
CBD has shown promising results when it comes to learning, retaining information, focusing, and memory skills. CBD stimulates and interacts with your endocannabinoid system and serotonin production, which is directly linked to a punch of physiological processes.
If your interest is piqued, try out the FOCL Premium CBD Drops to calm the mind and soothe the body. The CBD may help you stay focused and relaxed, while the unique blend of cannabinoids and terpenes has multiple benefits that you can feel immediately.
Alternatively, you can also get your CBD in delicious snack form. FOCL’s Premium CBD Gummies are a great way to get your cannabinoid fix along with sugary sweetness, so supporting your focus doesn’t feel like as much of a chore.
