Classroom lectures and wandering minds…

I have no problem switching off my mind to anything that I have heard before especially if it is a politician spouting the same old same old rubbish. I can put my mind anywhere I want to and revisit wonderful places or listen to singers or remember events in my life. Actually I can switch off and pray for people. I do this very often. I have never fallen asleep thought - never. And yes, like you, I can put on an interested face and nod occasionally too. Hopefully I nod at the right comments. Great post

Paris and Italy and Greece! Wow! That would seriously be awesome. Greece especially.. Anyway, see, my mind is starting to wander already! LOL. I was totally like this in a couple of my college 1st year classes - especially during Art History and Poetry Analysis. When we had lectures for that.. I just totally spaced out. I didn't do all that well in those classes just because they were ridiculously boring and the topic didn't feel relevant or important enough for me. However, if it were a Japanese lecture (I love learning the language) or even regular political science or political history, my mind would have strayed much less. It just depends on how much interest I have in it. Lectures are really hard to sit through, understand, and register when you have no interest in the topic whatsoever. Or when your body is at work/school, and your mind is in central Europe!! lol

I can't remember. My best guess is highschool science class. I hated science. Funny I don't to go to Paris. I rather see the hill towns of Italy and southern France.

When I was at nursing school I had 7 genetics lessons on the same day. One day I was very tired and unable to concentrate on the lecture so decided to read it later instead. During the lessons I was drawing in my notebook thinking about other things like my boyfriend and my plans for the holiday. All of a sudden my teacher said "Now you are going to use the things I just told you" He wrote some exercises on the blackboard and asked some of my classmates to solve the exercises. I was just thinking "Don't pick me, don't pick me" because I hadn't been listening and I had no idea how to solve those exercises. Fortunately he didn't pick me

When I was in college my friends and I spent a lot of time during our chemistry lectures checked out. It certainly looked to Dr. Ellis that we were paying attention and taking notes in class. However, what was really happening is that we were trying to compile the longest list known to man of the reasons that we all stank at Chemistry. None of us actually failed the class, but it was the most boring lecture class that you could ever attend.

I always tried to pay attention during lectures/lessons, but sometimes (be it because the subject is boring or because I'm tired or sleepy) it was just so hard! I then also started to daydream, or most commonly, I started doodling on my notebook :P I have never actually fallen asleep in class, but there was one time I was really, really close: it was the first lesson (at 8 in the morning) and we were watching a movie based on a book we were supposed to analyze... and well, early morning + dark classroom + comfy chair = danger of napping. I dozed off for a couple of seconds, but after that I just struggled to keep myself awake during the rest of the lesson... and boy it was hard, hehe.

We have those annual lectures or "classes" where I work at too. They very rarely change and it is boring to have to sit through them every year. I guess the most repetitive ones are on saftey. They do the same lectures and we watch the same videos every year...they look like they were made in the 70's Well...maybe not that long ago....but anyway..it is good for the newer people but for theones that have been there a while, it can be boring. I don't fall asleep but I have let my mind wander.

Yea I agree that lectures are VERY boring. My most boring lecture to date was a math lecture. I could remember that the teacher was very old but doesn't even care if we're listening or not. Almost the whole class was focusing their attention to their computers and of course, I was included inside, LOL!

As teachers always say; "Physically present but mentally absent".. I think I actually dozed of once in a lecture- just for a few minutes..My mind always wanders even when I know i need to listen, just like a few hours ago- in our major subject.. I know it's bad, not focusing on the important things and I'll try to change myself. And pay attention to whatever the lecturer says-it's tiring and insulting to speak in front when no one's listening.

Oh boy! I am so guilty of this. My mind wanders off when I'm not interested in the topic. Sometimes, even if I need to learn in, but I can't find some practical or hands on use for it, I don't bother concentrating. I let my mind wander off and snap back to reality when it's time to go home! ahahaha

If my mind wanders off in the midst of a lecture, then it means that I'm not interested or the dicussion was presented in a boring manner. My mind usually wanders off to my plans like putting up my own business. But don't get me wrong on this. I really love attending lectures and seminars, I pick up a lot of good stuff in it. It is just sad when it doesn't live up to my expectations and make my mind wander off to somewhere.

I am a daytime wanderer, my mind does a lot of travels that's why it's difficult for me to concentrate on a lecture especially if the topic deserves a nap. lol!

Lol...I am reminded of the scene in Shawshank Redemption, when Tim Robins is put in "the hole" for bad behavior, and took Mozart and all the classicals with him...in his mind. The last few lectures I attended certainly felt like that for me too... My 'happy spot" that I drift off too isn't always a geographic spot. I like messing with things, and tinkering with problems. I often try to work out the latest revision to something I will make, or try to solve a problem I have encountered in the workshop and don't have time to zone out to try and resolve. In the few instances I go on a virtual jet-setting tour, it is usually to Mexico or the Caribbean. Often, I plan out what I will do when I finally hit the Powerball, and figure out who is on my "naughty and nice" list.

My mind just fades away from classroom lectures most of the time. Anyone of my friends will find me bewildered when the Professor asks me questions. After a while, they purposely avoid picking me for answers. The hardest college course where my mind would wander was History, as the professor sounded really weird and the subjects were a little too boring. At times during class, when such wandering happened for me, I would think about my future and what I needed to do to get there. At one point, I got scared and thought George Bush was going to make all the voluntary Drafts fight a war. I signed that little form for Army drafts in High School, and as the war in Afghanistan was going on, I thought George Bush was going to appear on CNN and tell everyone that voluntary draft picking would go on.