Are you struggling with lectures? Did you know your ability to understand and interpret information from a lecture or any academic program in an educational facility gives you credence as a student and good grades after an assessment? Unfortunately, many students experience difficulty in trying to keep up with their studies and even their daily activities, and the effect is seen in their low performance in examinations.
TertFinder has carefully highlighted three reasons why you might be struggling with lectures.
1. Stress
It is very hard to focus in class without a clear head. Upcoming examinations, hunger, physical exertion, tight targets, and conflict with others are some of the many reasons a student can be distracted in a lecture room. This stress substantially impairs memory and learning, bears the risk of a student performing less than expected, and consequently, getting low grades. If your stress is not a one-time event and you have a prolonged history of not understanding lectures, then you have to incorporate stress-reducing activity into your daily routines. Activities like taking walks in the cool of the day, working out, getting enough sleep, and eating healthy have been proven to significantly lower stress levels.
Having a lot of unregulated extracurricular activity also induced stress. You cannot be part of a dance group that rehearses for four hours every school day, be the leader of your school’s basketball team, volunteer for a social club, and still sit through two hours of lectures without losing concentration. Remember, your education is your priority in university so cut down on activities that leave you feeling tired and stressed after. Practice coming to lecture rooms early, well-rested, fed, and refreshed, and watch your performance rise.
2. Learning Disorder
A student with a diagnosed learning disorder will usually exhibit varying difficulties in a lot of learning areas. While some may have short attention spans, and struggle to remember lecture content and process information, others may find reading and writing to be very tasking. These disabilities are neurological defects that may be mild with no major effect on the student’s average academic performance, from struggling with lectures to severe cases where they even struggle with doing simple personal tasks.
A student a with short attention span for example can choose to study in unconventional ways to comprehend lectures better. This may involve creating time outside lectures to revise tough topics. In extreme cases where alternative learning methods prove abortive, professional medical help should be sought.
3. No Interest
When a student struggles to comprehend educational information, the process of learning becomes unmotivating and the result is a total loss of interest in the topic or course as a whole. This then breeds a pattern of learning apathy which can have a negative ripple effect on academic performance if left unchecked.
If this is you, and your interest in lectures is hanging on by a thin thread then read on. Many people tend to go blank when they are presented with new topics. Now, if your lecture is on Quantum Science and you are only hearing about Quantum Science for the first time in a lecture hall, chances are that you will be bored and tune off. This is why it is important to study your course content before every class. That piece of document is not just a calendar; it is an important schedule that allows students time to read up on new topics before the instructor introduces them in a lecture.
For some, reading new text is like plowing into uncharted territory. Go online and find short video tutorials on that topic. If getting good grades is important to you, you have to make an effort to succeed. Pick a comfortable seat in class where the instructor can be seen and heard clearly. Ask questions where necessary and take notes. Additionally, build a reading habit after school hours.
Note that lack of interest in a topic or course does not qualify as a learning disorder.
When you identify the problems that affect your comprehension in lectures, talk about them with a trusted friend or a counselor. There is always a solution to these challenges so do not suffer in silence at the expense of your academic success.
Need help with developing good reading habits? Read here for Five Keys to Improving Study and Reading Habits
