It Happened to Me: I Started Paying Attention in Class and Now I Have a Better Grade

I haven’t paid attention in class for years. Most of the time I was on my laptop doing crossword puzzles, online shopping, reacting to group chat messages, or clicking “interested” on random events on Facebook.

Sometimes though I actually need to figure out what's going on. When I get super desperate I go  through “people” on canvas, scroll all the way to the bottom of GroupMe just to message a kid I spoke 8 words to during Wildcat Welcome to ask whether the final paper should be Times New Roman or Arial.

When I really need to cram information in my impossibly tiny skull, I just skim through the slides on Canvas and try to decipher those misleading bullet points, feeling like an anthropologist interpreting prehistoric cave drawings. I had become so good at wasting my parent’s tuition that I forgot that going to lecture actually gives context to these slides. 

But last Tuesday, something happened. I don’t know if it was the beautiful winter weather or the fact that my GPA was desperately crying for help but I finally had my awakening: I started listening in class.

I had no idea that if I went to class, put down my phone for a second, paid attention, I could actually learn stuff! Now when the teacher asks a question in class I don't have to look like I’m frantically taking notes to avoid eye contact. I actually kind of know what’s going on. Even crazier - when I do the homework assignments I’m not desperately searching through google or attacking my peers on groupme. I can open my notebook and look at the words I wrote with my own god given hands. I think I’ve reached enlightenment.

I might even start doing the readings now! Wow! Malala was right! The power of education is real!