How to Not Be Bored During Class

Last Updated: November 25, 2022 References

Being bored can have a major impact on how well you do at school and how much you enjoy school. There are numerous reasons for boredom, from failure to engage with the subject to feeling it's beneath your intellectual capacity, or just temporary phases of boredom. In each case, it's important to tackle the source and find constructive and fun ways to cope, which is different for everyone.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Why Are You Bored?

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Find out what is driving your boredom. This is important because once you have a good idea of what's behind it, you can select a solution that is more likely to work.^{[1]
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Consider whether you're bored in all classes, or just some. Perhaps there is an issue of you not liking some classes but loving others. This can result in feeling bored during the dull classes but feeling energized when you're interested in the topic.
- Is the subject matter too hard? Sometimes boredom is a way of deflecting the need to work harder or to ask for help.
- Is the subject matter too easy? If you feel that you've been there, done that and want to be challenged a lot more, you will get bored really easily.
- Is the class using a teaching method you find uninspiring? For example, the use of worksheets all the time can lead to boredom because nothing else is used to mix up the variety.
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Decide when you've made a choice to be bored. There are times when you just want to be bored because you can't be bothered with the class. It's that simple, and you need to ask yourself if that is the best approach to your learning and future.^{[2]
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- In these cases, trying to engage more with the class can alleviate your boredom.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Solving Your Ongoing Boredom

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Listen with greater attentiveness. If you are in a class, the first thing you should do is to pay attention. Try reviewing what you learned by asking yourself questions about the chapter or lesson your learning about, try to understand it more.^{[3]
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Ask for help. If your boredom is a result of not understanding the class materials, seek help. The whole point of education is to learn, not to behave as if you know what you're doing when you don't. If you ask for help, teachers view you as motivated and willing to learn, not as stupid. You might also ask your parents about getting a tutor, if the gaps in your knowledge are quite large. A tutor involves one-on-one learning and most of the time, you'll find this results in much faster learning and easier understanding, allowing you to catch up quickly.
- If any teacher implies that you're stupid, then it's time to see someone about the teacher's approach to teaching, not see this as a reflection on you. Any person who has the sense to ask for help deserves to be helped.
- Obviously, you should only ask your teacher for help with schoolwork after you try solving it on your own.
- Study more effectively. There are plenty of online guides for improving your study methods so that you understand the subject matter better and know how to improve your scores.^{[4]
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Ask to change classes or year level. If you feel that the work level is beneath your capability, ask if you can be moved to a more challenging class, or even to change your year level. This will require your parent's involvement and there will need to be proof that you can work at a higher level. Begin by talking to your parents, then have them arrange meetings with the school.
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Ask for changes to the way in which the class is delivered. For example, if all you get is worksheets all the time, ask your teacher if it is possible to learn in other ways, such as through reading as a class, watching videos, doing experiments or visiting places, etc. It might be that your teacher hasn't realized that there is an overload of one style of presenting the material to you as a class, and simply drawing attention to how it's not working might result in a change for the better.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Quick Fixes for Temporary Boredom

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The fact is that everyone is bored now and then. That's fine, it's part of being human and it's what helps you learn how to be creative about overcoming the boredom. This section sets out some quick fix ways to overcome your boredom until the next class. Just do your best not to be a source of disruption for others!^{[5]
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Read. Try reading your favorite chapter in this lesson. Do not also read your book or a nearby book that you may have. Try to hide the book somewhere so your teacher doesn't notice. If your teacher ends up noticing, just say it's a class book and you're studying for another subject (eg. science).
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Be productive. Make a card for your mom or dad telling how much you love them. Maybe write a poem, haiku, or a limerick. Try writing a story about yourself and something you'd like to do.
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Think about things. Think about your family and friends. Did you have something you were supposed to remember? Has anyone been acting strangely? Have you finished your chores? Think about the present, past, and future. You might want to think about what you want to be.
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Draw. Try drawing your favorite sunset. Or maybe you want to draw your best catch? Express your feelings in your pictures, as this will make your pictures more interesting.
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Meet someone new. Find someone close by. In a whisper, say "Hey, what's up?" or something to meet them. Don't say it loud because the teacher might get mad at you.
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Play with stuff around you. If you are bored and want a quick way to solve it, try making a band with pencils, rulers, erasers, and rubber bands. The pencils sound like snare drums, the rulers sound like tambourines, the rubber bands like guitars, and the erasers sound like bass drums. Invent a song or play your favorite one!
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Fake listen. If you are reading from a textbook, silently slip another book or piece of paper in your book. Make sure to switch places when the teacher is coming around.^{[6]
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Bring a phone or gaming device to school. This is risky because if you are caught, you can have it taken away. Sneak a game into your desk, and then, with the volume down, play your game or text someone.
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Bring a pocket radio with headphones. If you have a handheld radio that you can easily slip into a pocket or hold discreetly, then you can listen to a baseball game or listen to a song. This works best for people with long hair.
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Make origami. Take a small piece of paper and fold it into a piece of origami that you can quickly unfold and pretend to be taking or looking at notes. Try to remember one to use.

Community Q&A

Question

How can I not be bored during a math lesson at home?

Community Answer

Whenever you find yourself bored during a math lesson, try getting a spiral notebook and taking notes. If you use fun colors, symbols, annotations, and more, you may find yourself more involved with the lesson and becoming even more organized! Try using a stress ball or listening to music without words to keep yourself entertained, yet focused.
Question

What can I do after I finish a test and I have to wait?

Community Answer

If you're allowed to, you can bring a book to read when you're done, or even a sketchbook and pencils and such. If you're not allowed to have anything like that, you could bring some putty or a stress ball to keep your hands occupied at least. But first and foremost - check over your answers on the test. Even if you're certain you did everything just right, it doesn't hurt to take a second look.
Question

I always get bored during French. What can I do?

Community Answer

Try to write funny sentences in French. This will give you something to do, and you'll still be working on your French. You could also write a paragraph about what you plan to do over the weekend (in French).

Warnings

Do not distract others; your boredom isn't a reason to ruin their learning experience.

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If the teacher asks you a question and you haven't been listening, you may get into trouble!

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If you are too distracted, you will fall behind in your learning, no matter how clever you feel.

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If you bring any electronics, books, or papers to draw on, you may be in deep trouble. Know your school's rules.

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If you get caught doing something other than your classwork, you may get in trouble.

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