Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Checking your thoughts
• Part 2 of 3: Adjusting your actions
• Part 3 of 3: Prepare your body
• Tips
• Warnings

You want to learn, you want to listen to your teacher, and you want to take in all that information… But it's soooo boring! It's incredibly difficult to focus on the Pythagorean Theorem if you keep thinking about your date with Sara later tonight. But with a few mental and physical tricks, you too can learn to pay better attention in class. As with most things at school, you will have to commit to this. But once you see that your hard work is starting to pay off, you'll be glad you did it.

To step

Part 1 of 3: Checking your thoughts

1. Get rid of distractions. This is the easiest step to help you pay more attention. Remove any distractions that keep you from work. There are a lot of things that can catch your attention during class. Try to be more aware of what exactly you are doing when your attention drops. Once you know what that is, you can find a way to get rid of it.
   • Distractions can be objects, such as a computer, a telephone, or small items that you can play with. But it can also be other things, such as a friend, an annoying classmate, or a window.
   • The best way to deal with distraction is to avoid the distraction physically. If you know a classmate keeps distracting you, sit elsewhere. Your teacher will be able to understand this and will likely be more than happy to assist you.
2. Concentrate on the present. You must keep your thoughts from leaving the classroom. You can't daydream! Keep your mind in the here and now; save those other thoughts for later. It's hard, but learning how to flip the switch is incredibly useful.
   • Things you might think about include: video games, what you're going to do after school, your boyfriend / girlfriend (or lack thereof), your friends, your family, and even fantasies (like books you'd like to read, or places you would like to go).
   • You will have to learn how to manually shift your attention. Catch yourself wandering thoughts and force yourself to focus on class again. Eventually you will get used to doing this, and you will start to daydream less.
   • This means stopping your wandering thoughts and learning how to regain your focus on the here and now — even as you think about other aspects of the lesson, such as next week's exam. Now, of course, it is important to think about tests, but if your mind wanders you will not be able to absorb the information you need.
3. Shift the focus if necessary. Concentrate on what your brain is doing. If you find yourself thinking about things other than what is going on in class, you will have to manually shift your focus. Try to repeat in your head everything the teacher says. Emphasize the most important pieces.
   • It can be helpful to practice with this. This way you can improve your ability to concentrate. Challenge yourself by completing difficult tasks with loud, distracting music in the background. Supreme concentration is a skill that takes practice, and practice makes perfect.
4. Talk to your teacher about the lessons. Everyone learns in a different way. Maybe the way your teacher teaches doesn't suit your learning style, or there are ways the lessons can be even better for you. Take the time to talk to your teacher about ways you can get even more out of the lessons.
   • Ask about the different learning styles. Some people are visual, and others learn better with sound. How you learn best is called your learning style, and there are a lot of them. Ask your teacher to help you figure out which learning style you like best and how that learning style can be incorporated into the lessons.
   • Ask for adapted lessons and / or assignments. You can also ask your teacher for additional assignments or projects. These can help you learn the same material, but in a way that suits you better. If you really want to learn, and are willing to work hard for that, then the teacher will undoubtedly want to lend you a hand.
5. Provide your own motivation. If you can keep yourself motivated, you'll be able to stay focused a lot better. If the teacher and the lessons cannot provide that, then you will have to work on it yourself. This can be frustrating, but it will be worth it. This way you reap the benefits of your education, regardless of whether someone wants to help you or not. There are many ways in which you can motivate yourself and get interested in the education you follow. How you do that depends entirely on yourself.
   • For example, if you don't like a particular subject, you can look for aspects that you do find interesting. The rest of the lesson will become a lot more interesting as you lay a foundation for the things you do want to learn. Suppose you hate history, but you find the Middle Ages interesting. You can then, for example, choose to discover how the rest of history is related to the Middle Ages. This makes it a lot easier to concentrate on the material.

Part 2 of 3: Adjusting your actions

1. Prepare for class. Sometimes you just have to flip the switch to be able to concentrate. Before class, flip through your homework, book, or notes. This will allow you to get into school mode and it will be a lot easier to concentrate.
   • It can also help to organize your desk and make sure you have all the supplies you need. That way there will be less distraction. For example, you don't have to borrow a pen and paper, because you already have them yourself.
2. Find a better environment. By adjusting the environment, the things around you, you can help yourself to pay more attention. Not only does this mean avoiding distractions, but it can certainly help. For example, you can sit in a different place to pay more attention. This way you may be able to pay more attention when you sit in the front - after all, you know that the teacher is watching you. It can also help not to sit with your friends - you won't be able to chat with them that easily anymore.
3. Participate in the class. You will also be able to concentrate better if you actively participate in class. If you actively participate in class, you will have to concentrate - if you start thinking about other things, you will fall through the basket. Ask questions, and take part in group projects and conversations - this can be incredibly helpful.
   • Ask questions. Asking questions is an excellent way to participate in class. If you have a question about something you don't understand, or if the teacher has said something you'd like to know more about, you can raise your hand and ask a question. Even listening closely to things you might want to ask a question about can help you pay more attention.
4. Make notes. Taking notes can help you stay focused on what the teacher is telling you - even if you don't think you'll need those notes later. And if you do need them, that's even better! Outline the material being covered and make notes on complex topics. You'll find out in no time that you will pay more attention.
   • Read this article if you are unsure of how to take notes.
5. Do additional research. Sometimes you lose concentration because you don't understand what the teacher is saying. This is completely normal and understandable. If you do research to learn more about the topic, it will become easier to pay attention. Plus, the extra research you do makes up for struggling to pay attention. You can find more information on almost all subjects on the internet. You can even search for topics here on wikiHow.
   • There are tons of great sites that can help you with your homework.
6. Develop a routine. Not paying attention is a very bad habit. But do not be sad; like other bad habits, you can get rid of this too. Try to create a system in which you make time for school and time for fun things. Make sure you use your time at school to pay attention, and that you make free time for fun things. By teaching your brain that school time is for school, you can teach yourself to pay attention - so you can train your brain to pay more attention.

Part 3 of 3: Prepare your body

1. Get plenty of sleep. If you sleep well, you will be able to concentrate better at school. If you stay up late or don't get enough rest while sleeping, it becomes almost impossible to concentrate during the day. Take a good look at your sleep schedule and see if you can make changes.
   • Doctors state that people under 12 should sleep about ten hours a night. For people who are older, eight to nine hours of sleep is recommended. However, some people need more sleep and some people need less. You will have to find out for yourself what works best for you.
   • Know that too much sleep can also make you tired. If you go to sleep more but still get tired halfway through the day, it could just be that you sleep too much.
2. Eat well to keep your brain in shape. If you don't eat enough, or if you don't get essential nutrients for too long, your brain will suffer. It's like sleep. If you don't eat well or enough, it becomes almost impossible to concentrate. Take a good look at your diet and decide for yourself whether it needs to be adjusted.
   • You will need to eat a lot of vegetables, a little fruit, healthy whole grains, and plenty of lean protein. Good options include: kale, broccoli, spinach, apples, citrus fruits, bananas, brown rice, quinoa, oatmeal, fish, chicken (skinless), and turkey.
   • Avoid caffeine or drink it in moderation. Caffeine can help some people to concentrate better; others, however, become restless and cannot concentrate properly for a long time. You also run the risk of the well-known "caffeine crash" - in which you collapse completely when the amount of caffeine in your body decreases.
3. Drink plenty of water. Your body needs a lot of water to function properly. If you don't drink enough water, you will get a headache. It also becomes difficult to concentrate properly. Exactly how much water you need depends on your body; that is different for everyone. You can estimate whether you are drinking enough water by looking at your urine. If the urine is clear, then you drink enough; if the urine is cloudy and / or dark, you are not drinking enough.
   • It is best to choose plain water. Soda, fruit juice and milk are not that good for you at all. Plus, the sugars in soda and fruit juices can actually make your problem worse.
4. Use exercise as an outlet. Some people are very physical and need more exercise to be happy. It takes a lot of concentration to pay attention in class, and that can cause your brain and body to become aroused. If you find yourself getting restless, try moving around during the break. This can help you calm your mind and body so that you can focus more on the lesson. It can also help you wake up when you are tired.
   • Try to jump up and down or run in place. You can also jog around the building or play a game of football with your friends if you have the time.
5. Practice paying attention. Paying attention takes practice. That's the way it is. Your brain is like muscles - you will have to train it to make it strong. You will have to train the areas where you want to get stronger. If you want to learn to pay more attention, then you will have to practice.
   • Meditation is a great way to practice. Sit in a quiet spot, clear your head, and try to focus on one simple thing — for example, concentrate on breathing through your nose.

Tips

• If you have to study for a test, your notes can come in handy. In addition, time will pass faster if you take notes during class.
• Getting some exercise in the morning will make you more cheerful and energetic when you arrive at school.
• If you are allowed to chew gum in class, you can choose to chew strong gum. This can keep you awake when you get tired.
• Sit in the front. This way you have the best view, and you will be able to pay more attention.
• Try to take an interest in the subject that the teacher is teaching. If you find the profession interesting, you will be able to pay more attention.
• If it's a little cold outside, you can ask the teacher to open the window - the cold air will help you stay awake.
• Don't get distracted by your friends.
• Tidy up your workplace and put away all the things you don't need. You can also maintain focus in this way.
• Drink enough! By drinking more water you prevent dehydration, you purify your body, prevent you from eating too much, and you will be able to pay better attention! Always try to bring a bottle of water with you.

Warnings

• Do your best to pay attention when class is boring. When the class is boring, it's a lot harder to pay attention. So know that this can be quite challenging.
• You are not doing yourself a favor if you fall asleep during class. Your grades will suffer, but not only ... you might even be punished!
• Caffeine can keep you awake and energized for short periods, that's right. Afterwards, however, you will collapse. So it is not always wise to use caffeine. So before you start experimenting with caffeine at school, make sure you know how your body reacts to caffeine.