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Throughout my entire university career, I've found it incredibly difficult to focus during lectures, so much so that I at one point stopped going because I found it easier to just learn it on my own. A clarification: I did not find learning it on my own easy, just easier than lectures since I always get incredibly tired, and can't stay focused. Unfortunately, I've reached a point where I can't just "learn it one my own", since some classes are very specialized or deal with difficult areas of pure math.

So, how do you focus during lectures (specifically math lectures)?

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    $\begingroup$ It is hugely helpful to skim through the contents of the lecture before the lecture. You don't have to study it in detail, but this way you will at least know what's coming. $\endgroup$
    – MSDG
    Commented Nov 26, 2018 at 17:07
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    $\begingroup$ What really helped me was reading the material beforehand. When I went to class already having some idea of the material, the lecture seemed to elaborate on points that I didn’t understand (or had difficulty understanding). If the lecture didn’t address these directly, I’d ask about it. $\endgroup$
    – Clayton
    Commented Nov 26, 2018 at 17:09
  • $\begingroup$ I agree, thank you for your answer! I should have been more specific though, I'm mostly looking for what to do during a lectur, although reading before hand is definitely helpful. $\endgroup$
    – Alexander H. R.
    Commented Nov 26, 2018 at 17:09
  • $\begingroup$ During tougher lectures I was often unable stay focused for a full two hours (without getting a headache). I fully support the comments by MisterRiemann and Clayton, and would like to add that it is valuable to recognize which details of a lecture you can afford to miss while continuing to follow the main points of the lecture. Often there were tedious or subtle details that I was not able to follow immediately, but was confident I could figure out own my own at a later point. Treat them as a given, have a little daydream, and continue to follow at the next point. $\endgroup$
    – Servaes
    Commented Nov 26, 2018 at 17:11
  • $\begingroup$ Not being able to focus could be due to certain brain chemistry issues that may be easily fixed. Aside from this, try to use the lecture time to study and verify what you are hearing and try to come up with questions (event to yourself), Plan not to be passive during the lecture. $\endgroup$
    – NoChance
    Commented Nov 26, 2018 at 17:12

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