How to Stay Awake During School

If you’ve ever pulled an all-nighter or had a bad night of sleep, you know it's difficult to stay awake in class when you're tired   So how to keep yourself awake? 【小题1】   

Taking part in class

【小题2】 They are great ways to force yourself to stay awake because they require your mind and your body to work together. To effectively listen to your teacher, you should try to maintain eye contact, face the speaker, and pay close attention. Also, group discussions are a great time to keep yourself awake. Try to sit yourself near people who always volunteer in class and have a lot to say in discussion.

Keeping your body active

Walk around before or after class 【小题3】 For example, go outside during breaks and get your blood moving to keep your body awake. Besides, you can stretch a little in your chair to help you feel refreshed. You can start by rolling your wrists, shoulders, and neck.   After you stop moving, you might feel tired again, but it can help a little bit.

【小题4】

Whether your class is in the morning; afternoon, or evening, eating three regular and balanced meals per day will help you fight tiredness   【小题5】 But you should avoid heavy foods right before class as they can make you sleepy. By the way, especially in a class, a bottle of cold water can kick in right when you might start sleeping. Come to class with a bottle of cold water. You’ll also get a little energy from the coldness every time you take a drink.

Most of us grow up taking certain things for granted. We tend to assume that experts and religious leaders tell us “The truth”. We tend to believe that things advertised on television or in newspapers can’t be bad for us.

However, encouragement of critical (批判的) thinking in students is one of the goals of most colleges and universities. Few professors require students to share the professors’ own beliefs. In general, professors are more concerned that students learn to question and critically examine the arguments of others, including some of their own beliefs or values. This does not mean that professors insist that you change your beliefs, either. It does mean, however, that professors will usually ask you to support the views you express in class or in your writing.

If your premises (前提) are shaky, or if your arguments are not logical, professors personally point out the false reasoning in your arguments. Most professors want you to learn to recognize the premises of your arguments, to examine whether you really accept these premises, and to understand whether or not you draw logical conclusions. Put it this way. Professors don’t tell you what to think; they try to teach you how to think.

On the other hand, if you intend to disagree with your professors in class, you should be prepared to offer a strong argument in support of your ideas. Arguing just for the sake of arguing usually does not promote a critical examination of ideas. Many professors interpret it as rudeness.

On my first day of high school, I asked an eleventh grader where my class was. And he told me it was “on the fourth floor, next to the pool.” I found out five minutes later that we don’t even have a fourth floor and there’s no pool either! Besides that, I didn’t have any trouble with the older kid.

I think the biggest difference between middle and high school is the homework load (工作量) and size of the school. I went from maybe fifteen minutes of homework a night to several hours, so I had to learn how to make full use of time! Our class size is around 550, but joining in clubs, sports, music, and other activities at school makes it easier to get to know people in every grade.

The best advice I can give about the years you spend in high school is to learn things for yourself, not just to get a good grade. There have been so many tests that I’ve prepared for the night before, gotten an A, and not remembered anything later. I’ve changed that this year, and I enjoy school so much more. Don’t take easy classes just to have a simple year. If you have a choice between chemistry and sports, the first will be a lot more useful!

While drinking and smoking might be present in some middle schools, they’re also around in high school. I have a lot of friends who promised they’d never drink or smoke, but are now partying every weekend. If you have “fun” and spend your nights wasted instead of studying you will regret it when you’re applying for college. The “friends” who say you’re a loser for not partying are really not your friends at all. It’s hard to see your closest friends grow apart and go in different directions, but don’t follow their footsteps. Create your own path in life and make your own decisions.