Putting University Lectures to Good Use
University lectures are more than just classes: they signify our entrance into adulthood. However, the novelty of lectures soon wears off as stress and exhaustion worm their way into our lives, and soon, education is the last thing on our minds as we sit through them. If attendance is mandatory, then you must show up to these classes. So here are some alternate activities you can pursue while waiting for the torturously slow period to end.
Get Some Rest
What is it about lectures that brings out every drop of drowsiness in a student's body? Sleep will evade you when you are desperately trying to get some rest in the middle of the night, but as soon as you sit down for a lecture, it'll hit you in waves. The struggle to understand the topics being discussed by your professor will take a backseat to the struggle to stay awake. If you do succumb, make sure you're sitting behind a tall, moderately attentive student. While this might save you from being caught napping by your lecturer, nothing but luck can protect you from having embarrassing pictures taken and posted on social media by your "friends".
Treat Yourself
If you manage to stay awake, you'll most probably experience intense hunger. Sometimes it's due to skipped meals, but more often than not it's because of all the energy that goes into understanding the syllabus and completing assignments. Eating not only keeps your energy levels up but also improves your mood. So it's perfectly normal, wise even, to inhale a few cookies in class. In a crowded class, you are bound to go unnoticed as you eat instead of taking notes. Although it's probably not a good idea to sit next to foodie friends in this case, because they'll wipe out your entire stash of food in the blink of an eye.
Find Inner Peace
There is no point in acquiring knowledge if you are not in a peaceful state of mind to process it. Plug in those earphones and drown out the stress of upcoming exams (and the tips your lecturer is giving out on how to pass them) with a healthy dose of your favourite songs. You will have to apply particular techniques to shield your earphones from view, though. If you're a guy with a crew cut, then it sucks to be you, my friend.
Indulge in Self-Destructive Study Habits
If you enjoy being a hot mess and putting yourself through vicious and destructive cycles, you could always study for exams in other subjects during a lecture. Chances are, you spent the classes of Subject A daydreaming about your crush/food/toppling the patriarchy, so now you're behind on your work. Complete your assignments or studying during the classes of Subject B. Don't worry; you'll have next week's Subject A classes to finish up the work that you're ignoring in Subject B. This will almost certainly end with you crying over jumbled up notes the night before your finals, but hey, what's university without a few tears?
Let Your Imagination Loose
The best possible way to while away a boring lecture is to engage in wishful thinking. Again, the topic can range from your newest crush, who is completely out of your league, to the ultimate demise of the patriarchy. Some will tell you that you can never turn these dreams into reality if you don't pay attention in class. Don't let negative thoughts like that stop you. Take special care to overlook the fact that you'll need a degree, and a job, and money to actualise your goals, and also that getting said degree, job, and money require listening to the lecture you're ignoring.
If all of the above fail to help you pass your time, you might want to consider actually being attentive, and maybe even taking some notes. Sounds quite unappealing, I know, but I've heard it can do wonders to improve your plummeting grades.
Despite being a hopeless fangirl, Marisha Aziz lives under delusions of awesomeness. Contact her at [email protected] to give her another excuse to ignore her teetering pile of life problems.
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