Eventually in your college career you will have one of those painful, unnecessarily long classes. Here are some tricks for passing the time productively (and not sleeping!).
1. I always have a huge load of fast track evening classes—infrequent but dreadfully long—so I am kind of an expert on this. Before class everyday, make a list of your class in 30-minute increments so you can cross it off as pieces of the class go by. For example, if your class is three hours long, you will have the six parts listed; as the first 30 minutes pass, cross it out. It’s an active countdown and will definitely make the class better.
2. If you can’t use your computer, pack things that look like you are taking notes. This can be a sketchbook, a calendar, other homework, your wishlist, etc. I use my boring classes every day as a way to quarantine myself with my work and to-do’s. I spend at least 20 minutes of the time setting out things I need to do afterward, another 20 minutes catching up on readings for another class, and a huge chunk just dreaming. On scrap paper, I like to make different wishlists like “Places I Have To Go Before I Die,” “Long-term Goals,” or even just a shopping list so that I can kind of ground myself, have something to look forward to, and look like I am vigorously taking notes. (Make sure you look up and make pensive eye contact with your professor a few times.) I also recommend sketching out your outfits for the rest of the week, which is kind of fun and will save you time in the future.
3. This might be a throwback to high school, but text your friends! Check your snapchats, your Instagram notifications, and communicate with people on the outside of the boredom; maybe they have something to tell you.
4. If you can use a computer, try writing your papers for other classes rather than just scrolling down your tumblr dashboard. Answer emails and make and update a Google calendar of all the stuff you do! It will likely look like you are taking notes, but you can use the otherwise mindless time in class to save you hours later that week. You will leave each class feeling productive and accomplished rather than drained and lazy.