Introductions aren’t always easy nor engaging, and this could be said about this week’s first lectorial for Media One 2016. However, all that depends on each individual present. As a person returning from a much needed 3 month break, I couldn’t help but find myself zoning out at times during the first class as introductory information and ‘house rules’ were presented.

In spite of this, I did try to maintain focus and make the most out of my first class at university. And I must also admit that this lectorial wasn’t all that tedious as it actually began with the entire group watching the music video, ‘This Must Be The Place (Naïve Melody)’ by Talking Heads rather than the usual ‘hello and welcome’ you would normally receive on your first day.

The lectorial continued on towards a reading of ‘Hyper and Deep Attention: The Generational Divide in Cognitive Modes’ written by N. Katherine Hayles. The essay begins by outlining the meanings of deep and hyper attention. Deep attention refers to one’s continuous focus on a single object, contrasting to hyper attention which involves continuous switching of focus on multiple objects. The essay then discusses the differences between the cognitive modes before exploring the progressive generational shift.

We were then posed with a series of questions, one of which was, ‘How would you characterise yourself in and out of a classroom in terms of the two cognitive modes?’ Personally, I would classify myself as both. Throughout my schooling years, I’ve learned to discipline myself in the ways in which I study, and have also applied these notions in my everyday life. For instance, I have been able to sit hours on end completing math equation after math equation regardless of its difficulty and the duration it may take to complete without any distractions. Similarly, I have also been able to watch a film while writing an essay for English and answering science questions here and there. In the first instance, I had a reasonable amount of time to study for one subject as I did not have a lot of other homework. Whereas in the second instance, I was under some pressure to complete tasks in a certain time frame. To put it simply, my current situation will dictate whether I react with deep attentiveness or hyper attentiveness.

And for you, dear reader, if ever you find this and read it in its entirety avoiding any distractions whatsoever, I guess you could say that you were deeply attentive. Congrats.