help! i focus so much better listening to lecture @home than in class

[common man]

---

Members do not see this ad.

i am taking college biochemistry, neuroscience, and developmental biology classes right now. i record the audio of the lectures using my phone. when i'm in class, i try hard to concentrate but the material goes in one ear and out the other. i'm not aware of any serious distraction in class. when i come home in front of my computer, i listen to the audio with incredible focus and pretty decent retention. @home i'm pretty efficient despite more freedom to be distracted e.g. itunes match or sdn. basically, i'm going to class just to record the lecture so i can listen @home. why is this? i want to be able to have the focus at home IN class the first time so it saves me time! any advice? i look forward to medical school where they broadcast the lectures online. it obviously matters to me.

 

[NKChemEng]

i am taking college biochemistry, neuroscience, and developmental biology classes right now. i record the audio of the lectures using my phone. when i'm in class, i try hard to concentrate but the material goes in one ear and out the other. i'm not aware of any serious distraction in class. when i come home in front of my computer, i listen to the audio with incredible focus and pretty decent retention. @home i'm pretty efficient despite more freedom to be distracted e.g. itunes match or sdn. basically, i'm going to class just to record the lecture so i can listen @home. why is this? i want to be able to have the focus at home IN class the first time so it saves me time! any advice? i look forward to medical school where they broadcast the lectures online. it obviously matters to me.

I don't see any issue with it. As long as you're learning the material, I think you're all set. It's great that you found what works for you. Yes, it's a pain that you have to sit in lecture AND put in the time at home (twice the time to listen to one lecture), but it is what it is.

Are you getting anything out of listening to the lecture the first time (in class)? If not, you could bring your phone and record while doing homework for another class. That way you're not wasting your time.

 

[Buttermilk]

when i'm in class, i try hard to concentrate but the material goes in one ear and out the other. i'm not aware of any serious distraction in class. when i come home in front of my computer, i listen to the audio with incredible focus and pretty decent retention.

It's very possible that you're displaying increased focus and retention at home because it's the second time you've been exposed to the material.

 

[kpcrew]

why not just pay a friend to record and send it to you?

 

[common man]

It's very possible that the increased focus and retention you're displaying at home is because it's the second time you've been exposed to the material.

good suggestion but i'm positive that's not the case. when i see the material the second time, it feels like new, as if "when did she say that?". 😀 the only part i'll remember is a joke or an anecdote stated in lecture.

 

[common man]

why not just pay a friend to record and send it to you?

if you want to do it right, you gotta do it yourself. 🙂 a lot of other people in my classes record the lectures too because it helps them. yet they usually come to me because their recording got messed up due to incoming text etc.

plus, i'm trying hard to go to class and make it worthwhile. i've tried new things. for example, i'll stare directly at the powerpoint the whole time rather than make eye contact with anyone - including the very nice and sweet instructor who tries to make the class as personalized as possible and tries to make eye contact with students as she explains. i do that to try to focus on the material as much as i can and not on anything else. still, my retention at home is vastly superior.

 

[MegMurry]

basically, i'm going to class just to record the lecture so i can listen @home. why is this? i want to be able to have the focus at home IN class the first time so it saves me time! any advice?

"help! i focus so much better listening to lecture @home than in class"

honestly, i don't think you need help. you seem to have figured out how you study / retain material best, a feat which some students take years to master. 🙂 ideally we'd all get it the first time we heard it in class, but i don't think that happens for most people anyways. at least you know what you have to do to learn. props to you and keep it up. 👍

 

[Life Eternal]

i'm going to class just to record the lecture so i can listen @home.

I do the same thing. I don't think there is a problem.

 

[MediCynical]

... If not, you could bring your phone and record while doing homework for another class. That way you're not wasting your time.

Was gonna suggest this, as well. If you're really set on trying to get the most out of classes, the only other thing you can do is to review the material/do the suggested reading prior to the class period.


Also, keep this in mind when you apply to med schools. All of my lectures are recorded (video) and I love watching them at home at 1.7x speed. I know a lot of schools (or most?) are doing this now, but there are some that don't record or even require attendance

 

[Jawlzin]

I'm the same way. I'm usually too busy taking notes to follow what the teacher is saying. It's really annoying, but at least I learn the material one way or another.

 

[coyotelime]

I've learned that taking notes during class is worthless if there are slides because I waste time writing down information and don't pay attention to the prof. Reviewing right after the lecture helps significantly but that's not always possible as you may have another class. Everyone learns differently so it's okay that you can't focus in class haha, I think a lot of med students don't go to class anyway and do just fine.

 

[Miss Alyssa]

I was the same way. Except I would fall asleep and wake up near the end of class. I'm especially prone to this in the afternoon. I would just listen to the lecture that I recorded while I was sleeping. I also like being able to stop and rewind or listen to it at a higher speed.

In med school I stopped going to certain classes all together. I realized I'd rather sleep in my bed than sleep in class, I wouldn't have time to listen to the lecture again, and I learn best from written material and questions.

Do what you need to do to learn the material and get the grades.