Surviving 2-hour blocks

[juliemccoy]

I have the attention span of a... of a... well, I have a very short attention span. So short that I am too impatient to come up with a reasonable analogy!

This semester, all of my classes are scheduled in 2-hour blocks, rather than being stretched out in 50-minute sessions over 4 days (like last semester). While we do get a 10-minute break half-way into these classes, I am having a really hard time settling into this semester. I'm doing the reading, note-taking, etc., as last semester, but it is very hard to comprehend and focus with a double-dose of Civ Pro in the late afternoon.

I'm a non-trad-- it has been years since I sat through classes.I don't have any ADD issues -- I just can't get into the swing of things during these classes! Added to the 2nd semester 1L apathy... Any advice on making Civ Pro and Property more tolerable? My Civ Pro prof speaks super fast. He's going at Mach 5 and I feel like I am turning into a stenographer just trying to keep up with his words.

I did well my first semester, and I'd like to keep it up! Thanks for your advice.

[resipsaloquitur]

He's going at Mach 5 and I feel like I am turning into a stenographer just trying to keep up with his words.

This may be a reason you are having a hard time focusing.  If you are trying to get everything the prof says down then your attention is probably more focused on transcription rather than getting much meaning.  It's really hard to effectively listen and think when taking copious notes at the same time (and it's more boring to passively take notes).

Take less notes during class, focus on the prof (I find making eye contact helps keep me alert) and try to be thinking ahead about what the prof is going to say before he says it, or what the answer will be a problem before a student says it.