aaronjw Posted August 16, 2011 Report Share Posted August 16, 2011 So, since this is the only student forum I post on I thought I'd post my question here. It's been a long while since I've attended classes of any sort and during my time out of school it seems I've developed issues with noises and movement. For example, people typing on their keyboards/laptops bothers me. People shaking their leg, tapping their foot, etc bother me. It's not just that it bothers me, it's that I literally can't concentrate on anything else BUT what that noise or visual thing is. So, what are classes like these days? A lot of laptop action? Lots of twitchy people? I am not diagnosed or anything nor do I think there is any kind of medical condition which one could be diagnosed with but I am concerned about my level of concentration when I go back to school in the fall. A lot of the devices when I was in school really weren't available like they are today (no cell phones, no one could really afford laptops, etc). Thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pbear Posted August 16, 2011 Report Share Posted August 16, 2011 I'm super anal about that stuff too. I dislike being in class and seeing the bro in front of me on his Facebook while updating his twitter status on his BlackBerry. And for this reason I always try and grab a seat close to the front of the room so my focus is only on the prof. I have super sensitive hearing and can hear a person breathing a mile away (not actually, but you get what I mean) and the sound of some people's laptop keyboards are obnoxiously loud. (Fun/Odd fact: I taught chemistry to a grade 4 class and they all had cell phones/blackberries/laptops too. I probably wouldn't be able to focus in school again if this is how things were back when I was growing up). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psychoswim Posted August 16, 2011 Report Share Posted August 16, 2011 I would expect a lot of people typing on laptops or playing with smartphones unfortunately. Maybe you'll get used to it after a while? It used to bother me a bit but not anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarathonRunner Posted August 16, 2011 Report Share Posted August 16, 2011 I would expect a lot of people typing on laptops or playing with smartphones unfortunately. Maybe you'll get used to it after a while? It used to bother me a bit but not anymore. +1. There will be an awful lot of people taking notes on their laptops (or playing on them, but that's another matter...) and lots of people texting and/or playing games on their smartphones (why do these people come to class?) There seem to be fewer of them at the front of the classroom/lecture hall, so I would try to sit in the front row if at all possible. You will still likely have people with laptops in the front row, but they are much more likely to actually be taking notes, as opposed to being on facebook, youtube, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erk Posted August 16, 2011 Report Share Posted August 16, 2011 I would say you may find there is so much of that kind of activity it no longer bothers you; it becomes the standard background. In our classes there is no one person typing. Every time the professor says something, there's a sound like rain as everyone types it down. It's impossible to be focused on one person's annoying laptop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charmer08 Posted August 16, 2011 Report Share Posted August 16, 2011 Sit in the front... theres usually a lot going on in the back especially in first year york classes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostLamb Posted August 17, 2011 Report Share Posted August 17, 2011 My best advice is to sit as close as possible. As you get closer to the front, the density of students dwindles exponentially. Another advantage is that you don't get distracted by the multitude of screens between you and the prof that are busy looking at things other than lecture slides.... Also, you might be fortunate enough to have lectures that are recorded/podcasted, in which case you could elude the whole having to attend in the first place. Good luck! and enjoy being back at school. Being a mature student is fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astrogirl Posted August 17, 2011 Report Share Posted August 17, 2011 The front is awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renin Posted August 17, 2011 Report Share Posted August 17, 2011 The front is awesome. Except if you fall asleep like I do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JB. Posted August 17, 2011 Report Share Posted August 17, 2011 Ditto on the front. I get distracted really easily too, but I go to a small school, so I am dealing with 20-30 people in my class vs 300 people, that seems to help. Lastly, give yourself time; you should reach a point where a lot of the distractions go un-noticed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psychoswim Posted August 17, 2011 Report Share Posted August 17, 2011 Except if you fall asleep like I do. I always tend to sit as far back as possible... Somehow in my classes almost everyone tries to be in the front so the back is quieter.. and when I fall asleep or get muscle spasms in my arms not as many people notice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
<abstract> Posted August 17, 2011 Report Share Posted August 17, 2011 I sit front row centre in every class, that is where all the action is... the learning action I should add.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.