Since my last post, I have been having quite a lot of free time because of cancelled lectures due to technical errors regarding lecturers and lecture halls. Most of us took the chance to catch up on lost sleep while some went to the nearest towns (Changlung or Jitra). Each of us have to do an assignment, and I have started doing it as well, but then it is such a boring topic, that I can't sit down and do it for a long stretch of time.
We did have a few lectures for the past two days though. Most of it have been extremely boring. So boring that you could fall asleep even after a good night's sleep, what more with the lack of sleep that we experience here.
Come to think of it, I think lecturers shouldn't be angry with us if we are sleepy. It's not like we can control our sleepiness. If someone tells you that you shouldn't feel sleepy, it's like they are telling you you shouldn't feel hungry or you shouldn't cough or sneeze. It's not like you can tell your body to feel sleepy at times and not sleepy at others. You just don't have a choice!
It is a generally known thing that people feel sleepy when they are bored, so why can't the lecturer try to make the lecture more interesting? I always thought that if the topic is boring, then the lecture will be boring. NOT TRUE! I have seen potential boring lectures turn into really interesting ones that kept the whole hall of people awake. In fact, there was at least one lecturer that was so good, I was disappointed that her time was over.
Back in Russia, most of the lectures and classes I had were boring. My Psychiatry class was the worst - it was an afternoon class (after 4 hours of Paediatrics), and for each and every class, I would doze off for at least a few minutes. I have no idea why that particular class always had that effect on me. However, the sleepiest I have been would probably be one of my Endocrinology lecture. It was in Russian, and at that time, I couldn't understand Russian that well. I was straining to try to catch whatever the lecturer said and then trying to translate it from Russian into English and then writing it down. It is really quite a tiring process.
After some time, my brain got too tired to function and I gave up writing and decided to just listen and understand what I can. Then, I started to feel sleepy and began to doze off. Somehow, with a lot of willpower, I managed to be awake enough to remember that I have Skittels in my pencilcase. I reached out for my pencilcase and took my packet of Skittels out. (For those who don't know, Skittels is quite a sour sweet. I bought it specifically for instances like this, believing that the sourness can wake me up). Trying my best to be as silent as possible, I teared open the packet. The whole process took so long, I dozed off for a few seconds/minutes while tearing the packet open. (At that time, I was really in a very very sleepy state)After quite some time, I finally managed to tear open the packet. Then, I put my fingers into the packet (slowly to minimize sound, once again) and tried to get one Skittel. During this process, I dozed off a few times (no, I am NOT lying). I was THAT sleepy!!
Finally, I managed to get the Skittel. I put it in my mouth and the sourness hit me, but only for a short while. I dozed off again, with the Skittel still in my mouth. Thankfully, the lecture ended in a while. From then on, I stopped bringing Skittels to lecture. It doesn't help anyway, so why bother.
The moral of the story : Lecturers, try to make your lecture more interesting. If you aren't able to do that, don't get offended when your students sleep. To the students who are subjected to boring lectures, sour sweets don't help, and neither does coffee.
We did have a few lectures for the past two days though. Most of it have been extremely boring. So boring that you could fall asleep even after a good night's sleep, what more with the lack of sleep that we experience here.
Come to think of it, I think lecturers shouldn't be angry with us if we are sleepy. It's not like we can control our sleepiness. If someone tells you that you shouldn't feel sleepy, it's like they are telling you you shouldn't feel hungry or you shouldn't cough or sneeze. It's not like you can tell your body to feel sleepy at times and not sleepy at others. You just don't have a choice!
It is a generally known thing that people feel sleepy when they are bored, so why can't the lecturer try to make the lecture more interesting? I always thought that if the topic is boring, then the lecture will be boring. NOT TRUE! I have seen potential boring lectures turn into really interesting ones that kept the whole hall of people awake. In fact, there was at least one lecturer that was so good, I was disappointed that her time was over.
Back in Russia, most of the lectures and classes I had were boring. My Psychiatry class was the worst - it was an afternoon class (after 4 hours of Paediatrics), and for each and every class, I would doze off for at least a few minutes. I have no idea why that particular class always had that effect on me. However, the sleepiest I have been would probably be one of my Endocrinology lecture. It was in Russian, and at that time, I couldn't understand Russian that well. I was straining to try to catch whatever the lecturer said and then trying to translate it from Russian into English and then writing it down. It is really quite a tiring process.
After some time, my brain got too tired to function and I gave up writing and decided to just listen and understand what I can. Then, I started to feel sleepy and began to doze off. Somehow, with a lot of willpower, I managed to be awake enough to remember that I have Skittels in my pencilcase. I reached out for my pencilcase and took my packet of Skittels out. (For those who don't know, Skittels is quite a sour sweet. I bought it specifically for instances like this, believing that the sourness can wake me up). Trying my best to be as silent as possible, I teared open the packet. The whole process took so long, I dozed off for a few seconds/minutes while tearing the packet open. (At that time, I was really in a very very sleepy state)After quite some time, I finally managed to tear open the packet. Then, I put my fingers into the packet (slowly to minimize sound, once again) and tried to get one Skittel. During this process, I dozed off a few times (no, I am NOT lying). I was THAT sleepy!!
Finally, I managed to get the Skittel. I put it in my mouth and the sourness hit me, but only for a short while. I dozed off again, with the Skittel still in my mouth. Thankfully, the lecture ended in a while. From then on, I stopped bringing Skittels to lecture. It doesn't help anyway, so why bother.
The moral of the story : Lecturers, try to make your lecture more interesting. If you aren't able to do that, don't get offended when your students sleep. To the students who are subjected to boring lectures, sour sweets don't help, and neither does coffee.
2 comments:
haha... talking about psychiatry... I am having my psychiatry cycle now... eh hem... like you i doze off too every now and then... hehe... speaking about sleepy.. I guess I should be sleeping now coz tomorrow I will be having a very tiring day... 9am to 12 (pediatrics) 12pm to 4.30 pm (psychiatry- she really teach till 4.30 pm .. ) 5.20pm to 8pm (philosophy) --- sure hope i survive tomorrow !! oh ya, wish you luck too in getting the choice of hospital that you want.
psychiatry and philosophy on d same day? must be a really, really 'interesting' day..haha
thanks for ur wishes!
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