Staying Focused in Class Can Be a Challenge

By Kayla Milhon
Staff writer
IG: kaylaa.ml_

Buzz. A phone lights up. A notification pops across a laptop screen. Within seconds, focus is gone.

At Hutchinson Community College, staying focused in class can sometimes feel like an uphill battle — especially with constant digital distractions, packed schedules, and not enough sleep. Two psychology professors at HutchCC say attention in the classroom isn’t just about willpower. It’s influenced by distractions, stress, motivation, and even how instructors design their courses.

Kelsey Davies, Academic Advisor for Departments 3 and 4 and Psychology Instructor, has been at HutchCC since August 2024. She said one of the biggest reasons students struggle to focus is simple.

“Most of the time, lacking focus in the classroom has to do with distractions,” Davies said. “Usually, it’s because students are using their phones or laptops.”

In her own classes, Davies sets clear expectations about cell phone use, which she says makes a noticeable difference. However, in her role as an advisor, she often hears from students who admit they struggle to stay engaged in other courses.

Davies said that course load affects students differently. Some prefer taking more credits and staying busy, while others balance school with jobs, family responsibilities, or scholarship requirements that mandate a minimum number of hours.

“I encourage my students not to take on more than they feel comfortable with,” she said. “You don’t get a medal for burning yourself out.”

Stress and lack of sleep can make focusing even harder. Davies said building consistent study schedules, getting adequate rest, and leaving room for self-care. She also encourages students to try handwriting their notes instead of typing them, since writing by hand can improve memory retention and reduce the temptation to scroll through social media during class.

Preparation also matters. Reviewing notes before class, participating in discussions, and asking questions in real time can all help students stay engaged.

Taliatha Palmer, Associate Professor of Psychology, has taught at HutchCC for seven years and worked with college students for a decade. She specializes in educational psychology and studies how emotions and motivation affect learning, particularly how interpersonal relationships influence student success.

“I’ve always cared a lot about college students,” Palmer said. “Some of their struggles with learning are related to emotional states like stress, boredom, or a lack of belonging.”

Palmer referenced research published in Frontiers in Psychology that found student attention during a 40-minute lecture declines about every five minutes. The first 20 minutes tend to show stronger attentiveness than the last 20. However, when professors introduce something engaging — like an exciting demonstration — both attention and memory retention increase.

She also noted that multitasking, such as texting while taking notes, reduces learning quality because working memory has limited capacity and task switching drains attention.

To improve engagement, Palmer applies ideas from psychologist Edward Deci and his self-determination theory, which suggests people are more motivated when three needs are met: autonomy, relatedness, and competence. In her classes, she builds in assignment choices to give students autonomy, encourages positive peer interaction to strengthen relatedness, and uses smaller, scaffolded assignments to help students build competence before larger challenges.

Both professors agree that attention in college classrooms is shaped by multiple factors — from phone use and sleep habits to stress levels and teaching strategies. Their advice to students is straightforward: minimize distractions, take care of your mental health, manage your workload wisely, and ask for support when needed.

At HutchCC, free academic resources are available through the Student Success Center and faculty advisors, offering students additional tools to stay focused and succeed.

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