Multitasking and its setbacks
Multitasking: the bane of my student existence. I’ve always been a sucker for multitasking, and not until I hit the second semester of my third year (and realized that my grades officially mattered) did I notice the impact of my poor habit.
Even at this very moment I have music playing, my cell-phone screen is lighting up, Facebook is open, and I’ve responded to a few emails. Oh, I’m also eating dinner and thinking about the midterm I have this week.
Interestingly enough, multitasking was commonly considered a strength for a long time. It’s common for jobseekers to list “multitasking” as a skill, or for employees to boast about how much they can get done at once.
According to recent studies, the ability to multitask is apparently a myth. Our brain can only handle so much at once, and even if you are doing multiple tasks at the same time, your brain is really only focused on one at a time. For example, let’s say you’re checking your email and reading an article for one of your classes – although you may be conducting both tasks simultaneously, your brain is really only focused on one thing. It’s either retaining the email, or retaining the article, but not both at the same time. It’s also barely retaining anything because it’s so busy trying to balance the two tasks.
This is why I seem to find my brain feeling constantly filled to the brim. Trying to accomplish too many things at once leaves me feeling exhausted and fuzzy, as if my brain cannot possibly absorb anymore. The feeling is an epidemic – I’m sure I’m not the only student feeling this way. Between our cell-phones, our laptops, daily interactions, homework, deadlines, group assignments, part-time jobs, thinking about midterms, preparing for exams, volunteering, texting, emails, notifications, buying groceries, writing essays, keeping up with our favourite TV shows, and trying to maintain what’s left of a social life at the same time, it’s no wonder we feel the need to multitask.
The problem is, we’re missing out on learning.
See, I had this class. It was one of those classes where the professor would post the slides to Courselink, so I naturally didn’t feel the need to take notes. This feeling coincided with my decision to creep Facebook and Google the down low on my favourite celebrities. I figured I didn’t have headsets in and I was in lecture, so I was inevitably listening. I was multitasking.
So one midterm and a disappointing mark later, I decided my current lecture strategy wasn’t working. I decided to leave my laptop at home one day.
Go figure, I learned something. I left that class feeling like I actually knew what the professor was talking about for once, and it was a wonderful feeling. Apparently, my past multitasking efforts weren’t working. I decided then and there that I wasn’t going to bring my laptop to class anymore, and that I would write my notes in a good-old-fashioned notebook. Now when I need a computer on campus, I use the open ones in the library.
Regardless of this step, multitasking still seems to slither back into my daily life.
How can we combat this vicious need to be on the go nonstop?
Multitasking causes us to miss out on the present. We are so busy trying to get everything done at once that we miss out on the moment right in front of us.
A simple solution? Go for walk. Walks are underrated. Next time you’re in the library and feeling like your head is going to explode, get up and go for a walk outside. Clear your head and regain focus.
Do one thing at a time. I know, easier said than done, right? It’s a challenge. I challenge you to sit down and do one thing. When you’re typing up those textbook notes or trying to zoom through those readings, hide your cell phone, close your Browser, and focus on the task at hand.
Take the time to stop and think about the moment. What are you trying to accomplish? What is the most important thing for you to be doing right now? Take life slow and do one thing at a time. Otherwise, we cheat ourselves out of learning and absorbing all of life’s wonderful lessons. That email can probably wait, the text message is probably not urgent, and Facebook is – let’s face it – useless. Life is too short, so slow down and enjoy it.