Far too often you hear your student say how much they do not like school, because of one simple fact: it is just too boring. It is difficult to argue with this statement, because as a former student yourself, you may remember how boring it really was at times. Unfortunately, it is not easy to make the teacher be more engaging or force your student to be somehow become interested in the material. However, it is important to remember that boredom is not something that should be take lightly; it can cause a student to become frustrated and disengaged with school, which can ultimately result in low grades.
Fortunately, research has come far, and there are many solutions available when it comes to combating boredom. Here are some strategies you can tell your student to use to not only avoid being bored in the classroom, but while completing homework and studying as well.
Defeating Boredom in the Classroom – Tips for Students
Stay focused and listen. This sounds easy enough, and it may be something you try to do already, but giving yourself reminders to stay focused can be most effective. Whenever you find that your mind has wandered from the lesson, put a check mark in the corner of your notebook paper. This will give you motivation to stay focused and avoid giving yourself check marks. You will find that you retain much more information if you actually focus on what the teacher is saying.
Participate. If you find that your eyes are starting to glaze and your head is slowly lowering onto your desk, find a way to stay involved in the subject. Raise your hand and start asking probing questions about the topic that other students may not have thought of. This could ignite a classroom discussion or a debate, which can help get all the students interested. Or, if you have been separated into a group and given an assignment, volunteer to be team captain. Giving yourself an important role or a purpose to learn can help fight boredom tremendously.
Doodle away. You may have been told in the past to stop doodling on your paper and to concentrate. What you may not know is that doodling actually helps with concentration and can be used as a memory aide. In fact, doodling can help you avoid daydreaming altogether. According to an article by TIME magazine, “Doodling forces your brain to expend just enough energy to stop it from daydreaming but not so much that you don’t pay attention.”
Tackling Boredom during Homework Time
Find an “uncomfortable” homework spot. Avoid doing homework in comfortable areas that allow you to be lazy and unfocused, such as your bed or the living room couch. It helps to sit in an upright chair at a desk or table with plenty of room for you to spread out your materials. Finding a suitable spot to complete your homework can increase your concentration by double and allow you to become more engaged in the material.
Prepare yourself. Before beginning your homework, make sure you have supplies and materials that you will need. If you are missing something that you will need for an assignment, such as a ruler or a pair of scissors, you may easily procrastinate on getting started with your assignment and let you mind wander. In the case that you are fully prepared to complete your homework but dread tackling a particularly boring assignment, take ten minutes to warm up your brain by reading a chapter of a novel or a magazine. This will help get the gears in your mind running and put you in concentration mode.
Listen to music. Although the debate is ongoing, studies have shown that listening to music during homework completion can help improve your focus and absorption of material. However, it must be the right kind of music; classical music has a soothing effect that stimulates the mind and the brainwaves, which can be extremely beneficial. Loud, lively music can also stimulate the mind, but not in the right way; it will cause you to become distracted and to want to do something else you would enjoy rather than homework.
Studying Without Boredom
Rid yourself of all distractions. Studying can be rather boring on its own, and it is better to not have any entertaining distractions that would keep you from studying. Find an area of complete solitude; lock yourself in a room if you have to do so. Turn off your cell phone and put it somewhere out of sight. You can check your phone during the designated study breaks you give yourself, but keep it to five minutes only. If you must use a computer to study, make sure to block all social media websites. You can install an add-on to do this at HackMyStudy.com.
Be creative. Taking notes, highlighting, and re-reading will not only bore you further, but can also be ineffective ways of studying. Engage yourself in the material by making up a song about the topic, which can include important dates or information that you will need to know. It will not only help you remember and retain what you will be tested on, but it is a fun way to make the material come alive and spark fascination.
Challenge yourself. You can battle the boredom by creating thought-provoking quiz questions you think your teacher may ask. Answer the questions to the best of your abilities, and then grade your answers (be fair to yourself!) This will show you what you areas you need to study further and what you can improve upon. Making a challenge game out of studying will not only keep your brain stimulated, but will cause you to explore the material in depth until you fully understand all concepts and information.