How to Pass Time in Class

Co-authored by Ashley Pritchard, MA and Eric McClure

Last Updated: March 23, 2023 References

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.

1

Listen actively and take notes.^{[1]
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Class will be over in the blink of an eye if you throw yourself into the material. Take extensive, thorough notes, even if you don’t love what you’re studying.^{[2]
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Ashley Pritchard, MA
School Counselor
Expert Interview. 4 November 2019.} Focus on every word coming out of your teacher’s mouth and really try to comprehend what they’re getting at. If you listen and focus in class, you’ll get caught up in what you’re doing and forget you were ever bored in the first place!^{[3]
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- You are more likely to be bored if you’re just passively waiting for class to be over than if you’re actively doing something.^{[4]
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  Research source} Sitting there and watching the clock is only going to make time move slower, so you might as well do something productive if you’re going to do something to pass the time.
- While the research is mixed, there’s some evidence that the act of writing can cure boredom—even when you’re just writing random nonsense over and over.^{[5]
  X
  Trustworthy Source
  PubMed Central
  Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
  Go to source} If any kind of writing will help you pass time, you might as well spend your time writing notes.

2

Interact in class and ask questions.^{[6]
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Raise your hand when you have a question and engage in class discussions. Class may feel like it’s taking forever if you just sit there twiddling your thumbs, but it’ll be over before you know it if you find ways to participate. By asking questions or engaging in educational conversations, you’re giving yourself something to actively do which will make time fly.^{[7]
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- Asking and answering questions will also help you retain the information you’re learning.^{[8]
  X
  Trustworthy Source
  PubMed Central
  Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
  Go to source} If your goal is to do well in school, asking questions is a good place to start.
- Nobody said your questions have to be good. You can always ask, “When was this book written?” or, “How many cells are in the human body?” So long as your questions are related to the materials in class, your teacher won’t have a problem answering them.

3

Illustrate your notes.^{[9]
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Drawing gives you something to focus on, which will help time pass. If class is moving at a snail's pace or you aren’t in the mood to write your notes out, try drawing them. Craft a portrait of the president you’re learning about, or make a diagram of that chemical compound.^{[10]
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Research source} Drawing your notes out still technically counts as note-taking, so your teacher won’t be too angry about it if they catch you sketching something educational.
- There’s evidence that drawing will actually help you process what you’re learning about, so this isn’t a particularly bad way to focus in class. Some people have an easier time comprehending information visually, so you may want to continue doing this when you aren’t bored if you find it easier to learn this way.^{[11]
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  Harvard Medical School
  Harvard Medical School's Educational Site for the Public
  Go to source}

4

Complete your homework for another class.^{[12]
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If there’s no way you can focus in math, at least you can get that English assignment done. It’s never the best idea to stop paying attention in class, but if you really can’t handle it, maybe you can still do something productive. Your homework will need to get done at some point, so you might as well do it now while you’re waiting for class to end.^{[13]
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Expert Source

Ashley Pritchard, MA
School Counselor
Expert Interview. 4 November 2019.}
- Keep your notes for the current class out and try to split your time between focusing on what you’re learning in class and what your homework is about.
- Try to only do this if you have some downtime during a group activity or if you already have a strong understanding of the topic you’re currently covering in class. If you’re really struggling in history, the first lesson on a new unit about World War 1 is not the best time to break out that Spanish homework.

5

Organize and create a to-do list.^{[14]
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Clean your folders out, update your planner, and make a list of upcoming assignments. Toss out any graded assignments that you no longer need and highlight any important dates and assignments in your calendar.^{[15]
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Research source} Create a new to-do list based on everything you need to accomplish in the next few weeks to keep everything fresh in your mind.
- There is plenty of evidence that creating a to-do list will help you achieve your goals.^{[16]
  X
  Trustworthy Source
  PubMed Central
  Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
  Go to source} It’s not as productive as paying attention in class, but at least you’re doing something worth your time!

6

Doodle in the margins of your notebook.^{[17]
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While it isn’t as productive as taking notes, doodling will at least help you pass the time. There’s also some evidence that doodling will help you retain the information you’re listening to, so it’s not like you’re completely wasting the time.^{[18]
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Trustworthy Source
Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School's Educational Site for the Public
Go to source} Draw a few abstract shapes, create a cartoon, or sketch out different ways of writing your name.
- Try to look up and make eye contact with the teacher every minute or so. This way, it’ll just look like you’re taking notes instead of making some art.

7

Read something interesting.^{[19]
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Flip to an interesting chapter in your textbook or slide a novel out under your desk. Getting lost in a good book is one of the best ways to productively spend your time if you’ve totally opted out of the lesson. Even if it isn’t related to what you’re learning in class, reading is a great way to learn something new and engage your mind while you’re waiting for class to end.^{[20]
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- If you can, read something substantial. Opt for a good novel, memoir, or piece of nonfiction instead of reading a beauty magazine or comic book.^{[21]
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8

Engage in some creative writing.^{[22]
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Start writing a short story, compose a short screenplay, or get to work on a poem. Writing is a fun way to get caught up in something, which will distract you while you wait for class to end. This isn’t the world’s most productive way to pass your time at school, but at least it involves thinking about something!^{[23]
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Research source} The other upside here is that it will look like you’re just taking notes.
- You could also make a list of every word you know in a foreign language, every country you can think of on a continent, or good names for a pet dog.^{[24]
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9

Daydream.^{[25]
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Let your mind wander and come up with a story in your head to pass the time. You could picture yourself as a superhero with magical powers, or think about where you would move if you could move out of the country. Daydreaming isn’t going to help you do well in school, but at least it will pass the time without getting you in trouble. It’s okay to daydream every now and then, but try to make an effort to tune back in whenever something really important is happening in class.^{[26]
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- This isn’t a particularly useful way to spend your time, but there’s some evidence that daydreaming can stimulate your creativity, so at least you have that going for you!^{[27]
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10

Ask for a bathroom break.^{[28]
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Raise your hand and ask for a hall pass if you need a quick break. Everyone needs a brain break every once in a while, and a quick walk to the restroom is a great way to take a 5-minute trip outside of the class. Getting up and walking around will also help your brain refocus when you return to class, so this is a great option if you find your mind wandering and you’d like to stay focused on the lesson.^{[29]
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- Just try to avoid relying on this option too often. Your teacher may get annoyed if you ask to use the bathroom every day in their class, and they may even revoke your hallway privileges if you go overboard.

11

Avoid staring at the clock.^{[30]
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Ignore that clock on the wall if you want class to end faster. When you pay attention to the passage of time, it makes you hyperaware of how slowly time is moving. You’re more likely to feel like things are moving along if you ignore the clock entirely. There’s an old adage that a watched pot never boils, so keep your eyes elsewhere if you want to pass the time.^{[31]
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- If you get to choose your seat, sit in a part of the room where the clock is behind you. This way you won’t accidentally look at the clock if your eyes start to wander.