Time flies when you’re having fun, but it grinds to a halt when you aren’t interested in what’s going on in class. Luckily, if you can find a way to get engaged, that hour-long math lecture will be over before you know it. While it may sound counterintuitive, focusing on what you’re learning is one of the best ways to pass time in class. If you’ve given it your best shot and you just can’t do it, you can try to find a productive way to spend your time. If all else fails, don’t worry about it. Find another way to occupy yourself and just try to snag any notes you missed from a classmate after school gets out.
Here are 11 different ways you can pass time in class the next time when you’re bored.
Steps
Expert Q&A
Reader Videos
Tips
- If you're being taught something new or your teacher is actively talking, do your best to stay focused rather than trying to find a distraction.Thanks
Tips from our Readers
- Sit by a window so you can look outside at nature during the lesson. Just make sure you're still listening to your teacher because they might not like you looking away from them.
- Try to stay under the radar. Don't be the smart kid that the teacher is always asking to present but don't be so bad that the teacher is always watching you like a hawk.
- If you are feeling tired, it helps to stretch to wake up a little. When you're tired, you are bored, and when you are bored, time seems like it moves slower.
References
- ↑ https://home.snu.edu/~hculbert/listen.htm
- ↑ Ashley Pritchard, MA. School Counselor. Expert Interview. 4 November 2019.
- ↑ https://sites.austincc.edu/student-skills-workshops/taking-effective-notes/benefits-of-notetaking/
- ↑ https://www.edutopia.org/article/neuroscience-behind-productive-struggle/
- ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4217586/
- ↑ https://www.edutopia.org/blog/asking-better-questions-deeper-learning-ben-johnson
- ↑ https://www.edutopia.org/article/4-ways-encourage-students-ask-questions/
- ↑ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26045510/
- ↑ https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/effective-note-taking-in-class/
- ↑ https://www.butte.edu/cas/tipsheets/studystrategies/studybio.html
- ↑ https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-thinking-benefits-of-doodling-2016121510844
- ↑ https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/homework.html
- ↑ Ashley Pritchard, MA. School Counselor. Expert Interview. 4 November 2019.
- ↑ https://hbr.org/2021/01/i-tried-4-to-do-list-methods-heres-what-worked
- ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/living-the-questions/201808/6-reasons-why-you-should-use-daily-planner
- ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4763375/
- ↑ https://raisingchildren.net.au/school-age/connecting-communicating/connecting/enjoying-time
- ↑ https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-thinking-benefits-of-doodling-2016121510844
- ↑ https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1232893.pdf
- ↑ https://www.edutopia.org/blog/training-the-brain-to-listen-donna-wilson
- ↑ https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/reading-textbooks-effectively/
- ↑ https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1074055
- ↑ https://www.sjsu.edu/writingcenter/docs/handouts/Short%20Stories.pdf
- ↑ https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/learning-a-second-language/
- ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/the-athletes-way/201312/how-does-daydreaming-help-form-long-lasting-memories
- ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/supersurvivors/201712/why-daydreaming-is-good-for-us
- ↑ https://www.apa.org/monitor/2022/04/cover-science-creativity
- ↑ https://www.uopeople.edu/blog/how-to-survive-a-boring-class/
- ↑ https://www.edutopia.org/blog/brain-breaks-focused-attention-practices-lori-desautels
- ↑ https://www.edutopia.org/article/5-strategies-improve-students-listening-skills/
- ↑ https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_to_listen_with_compassion_in_the_classroom
About This Article
To pass time in class, look out of the window to see what's going on outside when your teacher's back is turned. You can also pass funny notes with a friend sitting nearby. For example, send them a "Would you rather" between 2 silly situations. Or, play a game of hangman or tic tac toe with them. When you’re bored in class, it can be tempting to calculate how long you have left, but try not to look at the clock, since this will actually make time feel slower. If your class is still dragging by, listen for words that your teacher says a lot and tally every time they say them. You never know what funny words will keep coming up! For more tips, including how to secretly read in class, read on!
Reader Success Stories
- "This helped a lot because I am online and this worked awesomely. I am going in person now but thank you so much whoever made this article, this helped so much time fly but daydreaming helped a lot. Thank you, keep on making more, hope your stuff stays up!" ..." more