7 things you can do when you’re stuck in a boring lecture

Written by: Hannes Wagner, 20.05.2021

Studying is not always as fun as one might imagine. Some lectures are actually really boring and the entertainment value is close to zero! Not every teacher has the talent of getting you enthusiastic about their subject and talks in a monotone voice for 1.5 hours without answering any of the questions asked instead. Every student in the lecture hall will begin to wonder: What am I really doing here? Is this a total waste of time? Well, it doesn’t have to be. What matters is how you deal with this situation and what you make out of the time you need to spend in that lecture. We at STUWO have put together 7 tips for you on how you can make use of the most boring lectures in a meaningful way.

Table of Contents

Reply to messages

Clear up outdated data

Work on your study material

Make plans for shopping, eating and cleaning

Flirt

Play a game with the person sitting next to you

Lecture bingo with fellow students

1. Reply to messages

Are you one of those people who always reads messages, but constantly forgets to answer? It is easy to lose track of the various messenger services, e-mails and SMS. But family and friends will probably get a little frustrated if they have to constantly chase after you and your answers.

A boring lecture is ideal for finally answering any unanswered messages or maybe deleting old emails and sorting out your inbox. Don’t forget to switch off the sound and vibration though because the constant vibration could disturb your fellow students.

2. Clear up outdated data

We constantly receive new files on every device. Pictures, videos, scripts or other documents are stored on our mobile phones, laptops and tablets and are taking up important storage space. You can quickly lose track of where and what has been saved. It’s good that there are lectures that give us enough time to bring order to the chaos.

3. Work on your study material

Why not use the time at university for university? Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? You can work on study content, write summaries or write down keywords for studying. You can also do literature research for your next homework on your mobile phone or laptop. This way, you are guaranteed to work on something useful for your studies that is on your to-do list anyways. Here you can find further tips for students on exam preparation.

4. Make plans for shopping, eating and cleaning

Speaking of to-do lists, most students will not miss out on the famous cleaning plans for the flat share, unless you are lucky enough to live in a STUWO apartment which includes room cleaning. Then you can still think about the eating and shopping plan for the next week during your lecture. And by the way, working out a meal plan can save you a lot of money.

5. Flirt

Attention, this is a hot tip. Because by flirting, time flies by. You have your eyes on someone and you’re stuck in the same lecture by coincidence? Or are you in an absolute flirtatious mood and simply want to see what’s going on? Excellent! Then try to get in touch or get a better picture of another person. Don’t be afraid to give someone a cheeky look or maybe try the good old slip of paper and try to talk to them the old-fashioned way. Maybe the other person is also very happy about your charming distraction. After all, similarities are the first step towards getting to know each other better.

Here are some tips to make friends at university!

6. Play a game with the person sitting next to you

There are endless options for games that can quickly dispel your emerging boredom. It’s especially fun with someone sitting next to you. Try a counting game like this: Divide the room in half. Each of you counts how many people in your half scratch their heads, go to the toilet, pull out their smartphones and so on. There are no limits for your creativity. But make sure that no one feels disturbed by your fun. It is best to play when you sit at the very back.

7. Lecture bingo with fellow students

Does bingo sound more like a retirement home game to you? Then you should read on now! Because this is the ultimate tip for topics that are unbearably bland, but unfortunately relevant to the exam. If the same terms come up over and over again in your lecture or your teachers like to repeat some words, then this is the perfect basis for a round of lecture bingo, also known as bullshit bingo, with your fellow students.

Collect some terms before the lecture. As in bingo, everyone arranges these in a personal order on a piece of paper. When the word falls, a cross is placed on the word. Whoever has a full row first, wins. This will add a little fun to the lecture and you will probably get out more of the material than you ever thought.

We hope you liked the tips we just shared with you! You can put it to good use in the next boring lecture. Stay creative and try to use the time for yourself in the best possible way. And one more thing: Check out our STUWO blog during your boring lectures. There you will always find new interesting topics, advice and useful information for your student life.

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