How to Make School Hours Fly By

Daydream a little. If there are still a few minutes left before the bell rings, let your mind wander. Think about what you’ll do after school or imagine traveling anywhere in the world if you had the chance. Picture yourself flying or possessing some superpower. Let your imagination run wild and take a mental break. When you return to reality, you’ll notice time has flown by faster than expected.

• Don’t let your imagination drift too far. Try to refocus on the lesson by incorporating the subject matter into your daydreams. For example, if you’re bored in math class, imagine robots battling each other using quadratic equations to ground yourself back in the lesson. Are those robots fighting with quadratic formulas?

Doodle in your notebook. If the teacher isn’t walking around to check what students are writing, you can try sketching in your notebook while they’re talking. Tilt your notebook slightly toward you, and it will look like you’re taking notes, even though you’re actually making time pass faster.

Enjoy some creative writing. This method is even more effective than doodling. As long as the teacher doesn’t inspect your work closely, it will seem like you’re diligently taking notes. Write a journal entry or a note to a friend. You could even try crafting a short story based on observations from the classroom. For instance, narrate the life of that paperclip on your desk.

Create rhymes. Try turning the teacher’s words into rhyming sentences. For example, if the teacher says, “The climate in Spain is very humid,” you might think, “Have you been to Spain? It’s filled with rain.” This also has the added benefit of keeping you somewhat engaged with the lesson.

Count your way to freedom. Choose something to count. You could tally how many times the teacher says “will” or how often they exclaim, “Pay attention!” The act of counting will keep you alert and distract you from noticing the time.

Come to class prepared to learn. If you know nothing about the day’s lesson, you’ll likely feel bored and disconnected, making time drag. Being prepared makes the class more engaging and helps time pass faster.

• Review materials and readings before class. This also helps you revisit previous notes and recall where the lesson left off while waiting for class to start.
• Prepare yourself physically too. Eat a nutritious breakfast or lunch and get enough sleep to stay focused during class.

Engage with the teacher and classmates. When opportunities arise, participate in class discussions. Contribute your thoughts and ideas. Even if the class isn’t divided into small groups, most teachers encourage questions and answers. Active participation, rather than sitting passively, makes the class feel like it’s moving faster.

Improve your listening skills. Participating in class isn’t just about speaking more; it’s also about listening better.

• Focus on the teacher’s voice or your classmates’ contributions. Ignore distractions like pencil tapping, paper rustling, or outside noises. Train your mind to stay focused on the lesson.

Take effective notes. Note-taking isn’t an innate skill; it requires practice. Fortunately, you have plenty of time to hone this skill in school.

• Focus on key points. You can’t write down every word the teacher says unless you’re a lightning-fast typist. Concentrate on capturing the main ideas. Teachers often emphasize important points, sometimes even telling you what to write.
• Pay attention to what’s written on the board or displayed on the screen. These are usually critical points.

Express ideas in your own way. One way to keep your brain active is to think about someone you admire or a person you like. Reflect on memories or take notes in your own words. Simply copying the teacher’s words might not help you absorb the information. Rewriting ideas in your own style keeps you busy and helps you learn more.

• For example, if the teacher says, “One of the major wars of the 20th century was World War II,” you could write, “Major war, 20th century, World War II.” Focus on the main ideas, not every word.
• Don’t hesitate to use abbreviations to capture more information efficiently.

Divide the class into smaller segments. The overall duration of the class can feel endless, but breaking it into smaller chunks makes it easier to manage. This mental exercise can make time seem to pass faster.

• For example, you can split the class into sections like “start of class,” “information intake,” “note-taking,” “homework assignment,” and “preparing to leave.” You can even write these down and check them off as you go. Alternatively, divide the class into fixed time intervals, such as the first 15 minutes, the next 15 minutes, and so on.

Identify what makes class boring for you. Write down the things that irritate or bore you during school. It could be certain subjects you dislike, sitting still for too long, or not being able to talk. List all the reasons, no matter how trivial they seem.

Try to find solutions to the problem. If sitting still is hard, ask your teacher if the class can take short breaks for stretching. If you dislike certain subjects, find aspects you enjoy. For example, if you hate history, you might enjoy reading specific stories about historical figures instead of general lessons.

• You can’t change everything you dislike about school, but you can change some things. Don’t hesitate to talk to your teacher about what might help. Some teachers may not agree to changes, but many are willing to help students.
• If you want to approach your teacher with a suggestion, do it outside of class. Try speaking to them after class. You could say, “Hi, I wanted to ask if we could have a short break during class. I think it would help me and others stay focused. I understand if you can’t, but I hope you’ll consider it.”

Challenge yourself. Sometimes boredom stems from waiting for others to catch up. If so, ask your teacher for more challenging tasks during downtime. They might assign you something that engages your mind and keeps you entertained.