103 Things To Do When Bored In A Class Lecture

Bored in school?

Sometimes, those lectures drag on and on, don’t they?

You wonder if you’ll fall asleep or lose your mind before your teacher stops talking.

Teaching is hard. Sometimes, listening is just as brutal.

So, here’s a list of things to do when you’re bored in a class lecture.

Most of them will allow you to do something you enjoy without anyone knowing what you’re up to.

There’s a time to be disruptive, but these tips are about helping you get through a boring class period without being rude.

List of 103 Things To Do When You Are Bored in Class

1. Write a note to a friend.

2. Draw or doodle.

3. Take notes and go off on a tangent.

4. Write a to-do list.

5. Sketch someone in your classroom.

6. Make a list of ideas for your next adventure.

7. Write a gratitude list.

8. Send a mental message to someone.

9. Look out the window (and make up a story).

10. Plan a daring escape.

11. Rhyme the last words of everyone’s sentences.

12. Write a poem about someone important to you.

13. See how long you can hold your breath (without passing out).

14. Pluck your eyebrows (without saying “Ow”).

15. Write a message to your home planet.

16. Pretend you’re running for president and write a campaign slogan.

17. Write a list of five things you want to do before you die.

18. Imagine you’re a spy and write down the incriminating secrets you’ve learned.

19. Ask to use the bathroom.

20. Write a screenplay of someone in your class saving the world.

21. Write a culinary review of the day’s lunch menu.

22. Write a petition for replacing the cafeteria food with catering from your favorite restaurant.

23. Write down every fifth word in your textbook and rearrange them into a poem.

24. Write a book review for your class textbook.

25. Quietly tap out a distress call in Morse code.

26. Pretend you’re wearing contacts that allow you to see the real identities of your teacher and classmates.

27. Pretend your teacher is about to tell the entire class about your most horrifying dream.

28. Think of questions to ask that would take the lecture in a more interesting direction.

29. Write up a “Mission: Impossible” scenario involving you and someone in your class.

30. Imagine you can read the minds of those around you and write down their thoughts.

31. Think of more realistic endings for Disney movies.

32. Take a current news headline and rearrange the letters to create new ones.

33. Imagine your teacher is the Doctor.

34. Write a sticky note and attach it to the bottom of the desk for someone in the next class period to find it.

35. Imagine a role you could play in a favorite movie or TV series.

36. Slip out of your chair and when someone asks you what’s wrong, say, “Sorry, but it’s been so long since I possessed a body.”

37. Pull out a flask and, not so discreetly, take drinks from it every time the teacher says a specific word.

38. Pick the lint off your clothes and collect them in a small pile on your desk.

39. Guess at the favorite foods (or darkest secrets) of your teacher and classmates.

40. Draw an elaborate door and imagine what you’d see if you could open it and walk through.

41. Create a secret language or code and use it to write a message.

42. Draw zentangles in the corners of your note taking pages.

43. Create a comic or comic strip.

44. Check your pulse.

45. Pretend your teacher is about to reveal a life-changing secret.

46. Concentrate on telepathically persuading your teacher to order pizza.

47. Take deep, quiet breaths to relax.

48. Decorate your non-dominant hand with a pen.

49. Write a message in emojis (including some you wish your phone had).

50. Imagine and describe different versions of the classroom: distant past and futuristic.

51. Think of different variations on “The dog ate my homework.”

52. Write a letter to your past self.

53. Write a letter to your future self.

54. Write a favorite recipe from memory.

55. Count an odd but repetitive detail in your classroom.

56. Make a list of karaoke songs you would sing for a $1 million.

57. Pull one foot up on your chair, and if your teacher objects, call it your “therapy foot.”

58. If you’re allowed to use a laptop, check your email, etc.

59. Write pretend eBay listings for your shoes, clothing, etc.

60. Pretend you’re after the teacher’s job and write a pretend resume for yourself.

61. Stare nervously at an empty spot in the classroom, and if someone asks, say, “You don’t see him?”

62. Write a pretend permission slip excusing you from boring classroom lectures.

63. Write a list of things you would do if you won $1 million.

64. Create origami animals.

65. Use a calligraphy pen to make even your worst handwriting look fancy..

66. Design and describe a mythical creature.

67. Write a heroic (or tragic) backstory for your teacher.

68. Enjoy a piece of hard candy (or a cough drop).

69. Paint or file your nails.

70. Write out the lyrics of a favorite song.

71. Make a list of the things you’re most proud of.

72. Write a list of gifts under $10 for family and friends.

73. Write down how you will learn the material your teacher is lecturing about.

74. Write a song about your favorite things.

75. Pretend that your teacher is your favorite uncle or aunt and focus on making them feel appreciated.

76. Create a new signature for yourself.

77. Write a short story.

78. Plan your first (or next) great novel.

79. Practice mindfulness meditation

80. Write a haiku (three lines with 5, 7, 5 syllables per line)

81. Design a tattoo for yourself.

82. Declutter your pencil case or backpack.

83. Design the perfect treehouse or mini Rivendell.

84. Design the perfect location and surroundings for the apartment of your dreams.

85. Design a new look for yourself.

86. Write a list of the qualities you want to see in your significant other.

87. Describe the person you want to be (the best version of yourself).

88. Write a list of the books you would read if your education were 100% up to you.

89. Write a list of experiences you want to have.

90. Write a list of things you can do to make the lives of people around you better.

91. Write a list of good things other people have done for you.

92. Plan the rest of your day — with something to look forward to.

93. Plan the rest of your week….

94. Look up local charities and volunteer opportunities.

95. Look for a job you would enjoy.

96. Write a list of things you know more about than the average person.

97. Write a list of things you want to know more about.

98. Write in a different language.

99. Write a list of memorable experiences you’ve had.

100. Plan the perfect day.

101. Plan what you would do when your perfect day goes off the rails.

102. Imagine you have a unique superpower and describe it.

103. Write a list of the people who make your life (and the world) better.


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9 Hacks To Stay Awake in Class When You're Dead Tired

How To Become Smarter: 19 Simple Actions To Boost Your Brain Power


Final Thoughts

Now that you know what to do when you’re bored in class, which of these suggestions do you think you’ll enjoy the most – without disturbing anyone?

There’s an art to keeping yourself happily occupied without anyone knowing you’ve already tuned out the teacher’s lecture.

Just make sure you learn what you need to for your class if the lecture is doing nothing but testing your will to live. This is not about blowing off the whole class.

It’s about making better use of your time, while allowing your teacher to think you’re still listening and taking notes. Desperate times and all.

May the ideas here make your class time more productive and more fun.

Things to Do When Bored in a class lecture