Let’s Be Real — Online Classes Are Harder Than They Look
Back in 2020, when everything went online, we all thought, Yesss! Pajamas, snacks, no commute! Fast forward to now, and you’re probably 20 minutes deep into a class while also scrolling memes, daydreaming about biryani, or Googling “how to stop procrastinating” (ironic, isn’t it?).
Staying focused during online classes is weirdly harder than sitting in a physical classroom, even though the teacher isn’t watching you breathe. Your bed is right there. Your phone is whispering your name. And somehow, a 45-minute lecture now feels like a 3-hour marathon with background noise from fans, neighbors, and occasional existential dread.
So how do you stay focused without becoming a monk or uninstalling Instagram? No magic here — just real talk, a few hacks, and maybe some stuff I’ve personally tried (and failed at, lol) before something finally worked.
1. Make Your “Class Zone” Feel Slightly Less Like a Lazy Cave
We’re not going for Pinterest aesthetics here — just basic separation of “study” and “scroll zone.” If you’re studying from your bed, under a blanket, with Netflix paused in the background… bro, you’re asking for failure.
Try this:
- Pick a chair and table. Yes, the boring old-school setup.
- Keep only the essentials nearby — laptop, notebook, water bottle, maybe one stress ball (or a slipper to throw at yourself when distracted).
- Use earphones. Even if you’re home alone. They just help you “tune in” mentally.
I used to sit in the dining room — yeah, awkward as hell when people walked in. But it kept me alert because I couldn’t fully zone out with others around.
2. Your Phone Is Basically Sabotage in Shiny Packaging
Let’s admit it — most of us have no self-control when it comes to our phones. You sit down for class and suddenly your thumb develops muscle memory to open Instagram. Or worse, those fake “urgent” notifications:
“Your screen time was down 7% last week.”
Cool story, but I just spent 3 hours on YouTube rabbit holes about space, so no, I’m not winning.
Do this instead:
- Put your phone on airplane mode.
- Or use “Focus Mode” (Android) or “Screen Time Downtime” (iPhone).
- Or literally put your phone in a different room.
One Reddit user even shared a genius hack — he locks his phone in a kitchen container during class. Not kidding. That’s dedication.
3. Water > Coffee. Seriously.
Look, I love coffee. It’s warm, smells like productivity, and feels grown-up. But too much of it during online classes makes you jittery, not smarter.
Water actually helps more. Your brain literally needs hydration to focus. A study I read somewhere (can’t cite it because I read it at 3 AM on a random health blog) said dehydration reduces focus by up to 25%. So yeah, sip that water. Add lemon if you’re feeling fancy.
4. Use “Active Note-Taking” — AKA Doodle Like a Genius
Just writing everything down like a human printer doesn’t work. Your brain tunes out. Instead, turn note-taking into a mini project.
What I do sometimes:
- Use colored pens (yes, it feels childish, but it makes reading later 10x easier).
- Add side notes like “Prof sounded tired here. Might skip this on exam?”
- Make diagrams, boxes, or even dumb jokes next to boring terms.
Turns out your brain loves patterns and weird associations. If you write “Photosynthesis = leaf party with sunlight DJ,” you’ll weirdly remember it better.
5. Plan Your Boredom Time — Because You Will Get Bored
No matter how hard you try, there’s a point in every class where your attention span just… dies. So plan for it.
Like, tell yourself:
“Okay, focus for 15 mins, then I get 5 mins to stare at the wall or eat Kurkure.”
You’d be shocked how effective this bribe method is. It’s like tricking a toddler — except the toddler is your adult brain.
Also, tools like the Pomodoro technique (25 mins work + 5 min break) actually help if you’re someone who needs structure but hates it.
6. Stop Multitasking — You’re Not Tony Stark
Trying to “just check” a DM while watching class = you heard 3 words, forgot 2 of them, and misunderstood the rest.
There’s this myth that multitasking is productive. Spoiler: it’s not. Studies have shown (real ones, not just blog clickbait) that people who multitask actually perform worse on all the tasks.
So during class:
- Close other tabs (unless you need one for notes).
- No background music with lyrics — lo-fi or instrumentals are fine though.
- Don’t pretend you can play Ludo King and also learn calculus.
7. Turn On That Webcam, Even If You Look Like a Potato
I know, I know. You didn’t brush your hair. You’re wearing your 2012 school hoodie. But hear me out — when the camera’s on, you’re less likely to space out. It’s a tiny psychological accountability trick.
Plus, your teacher appreciates it. Especially in classes where only 3 students have their cams on and the prof feels like they’re talking to a void.
And hey, nobody looks perfect. If anyone’s judging your background or your sleepy face, they’ve clearly never been through real online classes.
8. Class Group Chats = Blessing and Curse
Sometimes your class WhatsApp group is super helpful. Notes, reminders, updates — gold. Other times, it’s just chaos. Like memes at 2 AM or 50 “K” replies to a prof’s message.
Set some boundaries with it. Mute the chat during class. Check it after, not while your screen is frozen on “Slide 16/80.”
Better yet, make a smaller group of serious folks (the quiet ones are usually reliable). You’ll thank yourself during exam panic mode.
9. Sleep. No Seriously, SLEEP.
If you’re running on 3 hours of sleep and trying to focus during a 10 AM lecture — forget it. Your brain is just pretending to function. No amount of coffee or fake enthusiasm helps.
Try fixing your sleep schedule. Even a basic 6-7 hours makes a huge difference in focus, mood, and not feeling like a zombie with Wi-Fi.
Also, avoid cramming stuff late at night and expecting it to stick. Your brain is like, “Bro I’m tired, let me shut down, pls.”
10. Accept That Some Days Will Be Trash — And That’s Okay
Look, no one stays focused 100% of the time. Not even those YouTube productivity gurus who film time-lapse videos with candles and piano music.
Some days, your brain just won’t cooperate. You’ll rewatch a recorded class 3 times and still not get it. You’ll fall asleep halfway through a lecture. You’ll forget there was class at all.
And that’s okay.
What matters is trying again. Finding little ways to improve. Making small adjustments instead of aiming for some perfect academic version of yourself.
Online Sentiment Says: “We’re All Struggling”
Twitter is full of people tweeting things like:
“Online class turned into background noise while I make Maggi.”
“My attendance is high but mentally I left in slide 5.”
“Why does every online class feel like a TED Talk with worse audio?”
So if you’re feeling scattered, demotivated, or just done with the whole thing — you’re not alone. This format wasn’t built for humans to thrive. But we’re making it work, one blurry camera and awkward silence at a time.
My Personal Focus Setup (For What It’s Worth)
Just in case it helps, here’s my weird little system:
- Table near a window
- One water bottle, one messy notebook
- Phone in another room, on silent
- One playlist of instrumental soundtracks (Hans Zimmer ftw)
- 25/5 minute timer
- Snacks — always snacks
- And a sticky note that says: “You’re gonna be done with this soon. Chill.”
Final Word (Before You Get Distracted Again)
Online classes aren’t going anywhere — and neither is your attention span unless you train it a bit. You don’t need perfect discipline. You just need small tweaks that make it less painful to focus.
So try a few of these things. Mess up a little. Figure out what works. And remember: even paying attention for 70% of a class is better than nothing.