Help me stay awake...

Caporegime
Joined
25 Jul 2005
Posts
28,851
Location
Canada
I sit through about 7 hours of lectures a day at the moment and I'm having real trouble concentrating and staying awake. Not only is it annoying because it will obviously affect what I learn but it's also rude to the person lecturing.

Problem is other than a couple of short breaks and a lunch break it's pretty much the entire day in the same room looking at a screen. I get a reasonable amount of sleep (about 6-7 hours) and go to bed at about 12 for a 9am get up so that's not an issue. Anything other than coffee that will help me stay awake? :p
 
Get up half an hour earlier than you usually do. If that doesn't work, try 15 minutes earlier than you usually do. It works for me, but I'm not sure why. Something to do with circadian rhythms.
 
Does your course have a website where they upload the lecture slides/notes? I find learning outwith the lectures to be just as and sometimes more productive than spending an hour trying to stay awake/bored.
 
That may work, but I vary when I get up depending on how I feel, sometimes 9 am, sometimes half 9 (and rushing around).:)

They do have a website yes, but it doesn't really sort the problem out. They are useful as backup but not as the main way of learning (I've had some horrible lecturers in the past whos slides pretty much consist of photos and no explanation at all).:p

I do drink coke but would rather stay clear of drinking gallons of the damn stuff.Tea, although not as bad as coffee, is still vile so I'd rather not have to drink it either. :D

At the moment all I can think of is alternating coke and water and then having lots of sugary foods at break periods to perk me up again (but then you get a crash).
 
Fellas = korean ginseng, ladies = siberian ginseng (though not a true ginseng). :D

Do you find 6 - 7 hours enough? Fair enough if you do. Try aiming for 7.5. ;)
 
7 lectures a day?! Really?

Getting up between lectures and getting some fresh air might help - lots of people in dark room for extended periods of time and the CO2 rises and everyone gets lethargic.
 
7 hours straight! damn and i whine about the days i have 4 hour stints. My recommendation is red bull which is fine if you don't follow a healthy diet. 7 hours is a long time to spend concentrating, my brain turns to mush after about 3 and i have to find something else to do for 20 minutes or something.
 
Some lectures are always dull... its just a fact. You can't make yourself pay attention if you find the topic boring as hell or if the lecturer has no interest in teaching you. If you try to hype yourself up you'll just find yourself looking around wildly or thinking of other things and still not focusing.

I remember 1 lecturer in our first year, literally the only reason people turned up was to get his lecture notes for that week, after that everyone (and i do mean everyone, almost nobody stayed awake) went to sleep then skipped his next lecture because they had the notes.
We had the guy again in 3rd year for a couple of lectures on a topic he actually liked and you could really feel the difference in his lecturing. In 1st year he was basically reading the notes in a monotone, 3rd year was HIS subject so there was genuine enthusiasm.

Best you can hope to do is write things down. It keeps you occupied.
 
Invest in a dvcam and a pair of glasses with eyes painted on them.

Sleep in some lessons and record the ones you sleep in.
 
clamp.jpg


Hold the clamp open, stick your todger in. Guaranteed to keep you awake!
 
Lol, what are you studying to have 7 hours worth of lectures a day?

My advice is to have a powernap in your breaks, lunch breaks. Power napping does wonders even if its only for 15 mins :)
 
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