How to Survive a Class You Hate

Co-authored by Daron Cam

Last Updated: March 5, 2023

Did class get you down? Everybody's been there a time or two. But you can learn some basic tips to stay positive, stay engaged, and get through the semester successfully, even with the worst, most dull classes you've got to take.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Staying Positive for Class

1
Psych yourself up each day. Even if you have to head off to your least favorite class of all time, it doesn't have to be a dungeon if you go in with the right attitude. Develop a little ritual for yourself when you know you have to go to class to give yourself the strength to get through it. You've got this.
- Listen to an upbeat song, something you really love that gets you moving and energetic. Let that energy carry you into class. It should help make at least the first part of a boring lecture less boring.
2
Keep your energy level up for class. You can't sleep, even though you might want to doze off during this lesson. The higher your energy levels for class, the easier paying attention will become, and the more engaged you'll be. More engaged, less bored. Less bored, better class.
- Get at least 8 hours of sleep before school, especially on days that you have a class, you're not super into. If you're about to drift off, everything will seem so much more boring.
- Try getting a tiny amount of exercise to keep your energy levels up before class. Hide in the bathroom and do fifteen jumping-jacks. Just don't let anyone see you!
- Put your phone away so you aren't distracted during class.^{[1]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Daron Cam
  Academic Tutor
  Expert Interview. 29 May 2020.}
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3
Reward yourself with a snack. Algebra's better if there's a Snickers bar on the other side of it. Get a snack reward for a class you hate, to treat yourself before, during, or afterwards, depending on the rules at your school. Try to save it for afterward, to give yourself something to look forward to. Save your granola bar as a reward for getting through another one.
- Processed snacks high in sugar might spike your energy in the short term, but you'll crash hard later in the day, making your last classes feel tough to power through. Instead of slamming some Skittles, try to have an apple, an orange, or a handful of peanuts.
4
Dress up for school. The way you look can affect how you feel. If you dress like you don't want to be there, you'll feel like it. Instead, wear a cool new outfit, or take some extra time getting ready for school on days that you have a class you don't like, so you'll be able to feel confident and fresh, instead of bored and tired.
5
Personalize your school stuff for that class. Go all out when you're figuring out your school supplies for the class you don't like, decorating your binder, your notebooks, and your notes. Get colored pens, pencils, stickers, and those elaborate plastic dividers. Even if the class is terrible, it'll give you something to enjoy about the class, and a separate activity that will keep you engaged.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Managing Boredom

1
Find one thing to enjoy about class. No class is fun all the time, but sometimes you can pick out one thing that you enjoy, to help keep yourself more focused and give yourself a reason to enjoy being there. Even if it's not something involved in the content of the class itself, but in the room, the student body, or your own brain.
- Find a friend in the class. Spend the class thinking of good stuff to talk about after class, as you're leaving.
- Try to find something about the subject to enjoy as well. If it's history, sit through the boring stuff about legislation to get to the juicy stuff about battles.
2
Allow yourself the occasional daydream. Every now and then, you can allow yourself an entertaining daydream without sacrificing your attention. A recent study even showed that letting your mind wander in controlled bursts can help you to re-focus and retain information.
- Make up a silly story about the people in your class. Who is most likely to be a secret alien from Planet Zebulon? Who secretly has a crush on the teacher? Who would survive if your class was thrust into the zombie apocalypse?
- Start daydreaming about what you'll do when you get home from school. Video games and grilled cheese? Sounds great.
- Assign different woodland creatures to the looks of different members of your class. Who looks most like a squirrel? A wolf? A great horned owl? This is surprisingly fun.
3
Try to relate class to other topics you are interested in. What if this wasn't Algebra, but training for astronauts, so you can learn the proper formulas for charting your trajectory to the moon? What if this wasn't gym class, but a secret training facility for gifted athletes and geniuses? What if this wasn't history, but spy training? Whatever you're into, let yourself fantasize that it's about something else, and that you've got to do well to succeed.
4
Take notes and doodle on them. This is a win-win situation. Taking notes keeps you engaged and productive in class, while doodling is a simple and fun way to eat up some time, and it has the added effect of helping to keep you engaged.
- A recent study found that doodlers are able to retain more information, because you're engaging in an active task–drawing and note taking–as opposed to the passive task of listening. ^{[2]
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  Research source}
5
Find another quiet activity to do on the down-low. If you want to keep your mind busy, try coming up with a little game for yourself to pass the time. As long as it's not loud or obvious enough to get you a reprimand from the teacher, you can play a little game by yourself every now and then to help survive a terrible class.
- Take your pen apart as fast as you can and put it back together. Time yourself and try to beat your own time. Get a friend involved, and see who can do it quickest.
- Find a seat by a good window. Look out of it. Five points for every bird, ten for every piece of garbage. Challenge your friend.
- Try to make things move with your mind. Get the girl sitting next to you to scratch her forehead just by thinking it. Hey, worth a shot.
6
Try your best to behave. If you don't like a class because you're constantly getting in trouble, that class is going to be much more of a struggle. If survival is your goal, learn when to button up and cut it out, otherwise the rest of the class is just going to get worse. If you have to goof off, be subtle. Try to get through the whole class talking to your friend without getting caught.
- Picking on the teacher isn't a good way to survive class; it's a good way to get suspended. Don't back-talk or cause trouble, unless you want to make it worse.
- If you hate class because it's very difficult, or because you're unable to pay attention, talk to your parents, a guidance counselor, or your teacher to try to figure things out. It may be that you're in the wrong class and need to be switched to a different one.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Getting Through the Semester

1
Make a friend in class. A class you don't like will be much better over the course of the semester if you can find a buddy. If you're going in there alone each day, it's always going to feel tough. But if you've got a friendly face waiting for you, and a sympathetic ear to complain with afterward, things will go much more smoothly.
- Just come up with a reason to talk to someone, if you don't know anybody. "Nice shirt, what's your name?" Perfect.
2
Be prepared for every class. If you show up to every class with no book, no pencil, and without having done the prep you needed to do for class, everything is going to be worse. You'll get picked on by the teacher, you'll be confused the whole time you're there, and you won't have anything to keep yourself busy. Even though homework is a bummer, you need to do it if you want to survive the class. Even if you hate it.
- Try doing the homework you don't like first. You'll get it over with sooner, which means the rest of your homework won't be so bad.
- Do homework while you're in class, if you can. If you can get away with it, one of the best ways to keep the work as painless as possible is to finish it while you're still at school. Leave that terrible classwork at school, and you won't have to stress about it as much.
3
Just do enough to pass. If a class is a real bummer, you don't have to be the number one student at the front of the class. You don't need an A+ in every course, but that doesn't mean you can slack off so much that you'll have to repeat. If you don't pass, you'll just end up back here again, hating the class all over again. No sense in that.
- Make good friends with the term "minimum requirements." What is the absolute bare essential you need to do for the class to pass? As long as you're exceeding those, it's just a waiting game.
4
Talk to your teacher about your issues. If you're really struggling, and can't find a way to get yourself to enjoy class, or if you're really stressed and anxious about a particular class, talk to the teacher about your problem. Often, teachers will be very sympathetic, especially if you have a genuine desire to do better and to get through class without causing problems.
- Wait until after class and talk to your teacher one-on-one. Say something like, "I really want to be able to succeed in this class, but I'm struggling. I have a hard time paying attention and staying engaged. What can I do to do better?"
- If you're a visual learner, try asking the teacher if it wouldn't be possible to incorporate more visual diagrams and chalkboard learning into the course, or incorporating more activities into the class, if you're a more active learner.
- Don't be afraid to ask your teacher questions.^{[3]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Daron Cam
  Academic Tutor
  Expert Interview. 29 May 2020.}
5
Consider dropping the class, if you must. While this is usually only an option in college, and sometimes in high school, if you really can't get through a class right now, sometimes it's a better idea to consider dropping and either taking another course with another teacher, or retaking this course when you feel more equipped to take it.
- Try sitting in on other teachers who teach the same course and see if you might be able to transfer into it smoothly, without having to cause a big problem for everyone.