College Life
50 Seriously Awesome Things To Do When You’re Bored
Do you get bored easily? Check out this awesome list of things to do when bored! This guide has got you covered during boring days in class, at your house, or out in public.
School can get very boring, especially during periods of intense work. There are many ways to have fun, increase productivity, or relax for a moment.
Check out this awesome list of things to do when bored! This guide has got you covered during those boring days in class, at your house, or out in public.
In this post:
Creative activities
1. Create a blog
Everyone has opinions. Why not share them with everyone else? Creating a routine to write about niche topics can become a pastime.
Who knows, maybe you’ll gain some fans. I briefly had a blog posting reviews for a show I watch, and it was fun to post my opinions and let others see them!
2. Write a story
Write about your ideal life! Writing a page a day can help with creativity, writing skills and create routines.
In high school, I used NaNoWriMo to write. I didn’t submit my writing, but I did it to see how dedicated I could be. I wrote 1000 words a day, and it became easier for me to write.
3. Draw/paint
Draw things you find in your room. If you draw consistently, you can improve drastically.
I’ve attempted (emphasis on attempted) to draw myself every day and it’s nice to have a documented vision of how I perceived myself over time.
4. Coloring
If you’re not good at art (like me), then coloring is a great alternative. Everything is drawn for you, and you just color it in. It’s very relaxing and it can take a while.
5. Teach yourself how to take good photos
There are tons of tutorials on YouTube for this. In the age of Instagram influencers, everyone is finding creative ways to take creative self-portraits.
I adore taking photos when I go out with friends. Then, I make photo albums and print copies to give to them!
6. Create obscure Spotify playlists
I have a sad playlist, a happy playlist, one for when I take road trips, etc. It’s a good way to review everything in your playlists and make categories for them.
7. Create a YouTube channel
Pick a topic you’re interested in and create a video for it! MacBooks have the iMovie software, and it makes it very easy to create content with. It’s fun, and it’s also a great skill for jobs.
8. Vlog yourself
I recorded myself throughout my first week in college.
While I also journal, it was amazing to have the accompanying videos. I have matured so much since then, and a lot of the things I was scared of are no longer relevant.
9. Do your makeup/hair/dress up
Lately, I have nowhere nice to go, but sometimes I just want to look good. Dress up for no reason and take some pictures!
Related: 60 Amazing Hobbies For Women In Their 30s
Things to do when you’re bored in class/in between classes
10. Play map games on GeoGuessr or Seterra
Fun fact: Six percent of American young adults aren’t able to locate their own country on a map, according to a 2006 National Geographic poll.
Another majority cannot place the states. These map games show you new places and teach you geography at the same time!
These games got me through many boring hours of high school, and they still entertain me in college. I know every state’s capital and major cities because of it.
11. Go on Google Earth and look at random places
It’s fascinating to see what the rest of the world looks like. While we may know of the most famous destinations, Google Earth can send you to a random farm in France, or in the middle of the desert in Africa.
12. Wikipedia game
Go to the randomizer tool on Wikipedia, and then try to get to a subject of your choice as fast as possible. For example, you could try to get to an article about McDonald’s from an article about World War Ⅱ, only by clicking hyperlinks.
13. Look up apartments on Zillow
As someone who fantasizes about taking road trips and moving into a Victorian mansion, I find it fascinating what mansions are being sold for around the country.
Zillow is the perfect website to look up mansions you dream of living in. This can help with goal setting, as seeing these incredible homes will be motivation for you to work harder.
14. Watch TV
There’s always a new series to watch on Netflix, so binge it all in one sitting like the rest of us. If you don’t have Netflix, YouTube has many uploaded series available to watch.
I’ve been watching Hell’s Kitchen from the beginning. As someone who has only watched the more recent seasons, it’s interesting to see how the show started.
15. Shopping
After you clean your room, you can replenish your closet with new clothes. I’m frugal, so I shop at discount stores like Marshalls and Burlington.
I often find brands such as Tommy Hilfiger and Michael Kors for $15 a shirt.
16. Take a nap
Go to your dorm (or even your car) and sleep. Stress makes you tired, and sometimes taking a break is the best way to prepare yourself for what’s to come.
As a commuter student, I often go to my car to be alone, and I can see everyone napping in their cars around me.
17. Play video games
I ended up using my Wii for the first time in years during the pandemic, and lots of Wii Tennis was played to “keep me in shape.”
18. Play cards
In high school, I used to play solitaire on my computer, and I got pretty good at it. It takes time to finally get a set that wins.
Related: 30 Fun Hobbies For Women In Their 30s
Self-care Activities
19. Exercise
I made a point to exercise more during the pandemic. I’ve been doing Chloe Ting ab workouts, and they do work! They don’t take that long, but I feel the burn.
If you work out only 30 minutes per day, you can reduce the chances of diseases and other health risks while enjoying a toned body.
20. Write in a journal
Journaling creates a record of your experiences, and it also improves mental health! I’ve been journaling since the 1st grade, and it’s hilarious to read my thoughts on the most mundane occurrences.
Journaling helps me think through whatever is bothering me. It’s a good disconnect from my phone, too.
21. Go outside
COVID-19 had me stuck inside quite a lot. I had online classes, then I had to go to work afterward. After work, I sit outside for 30 minutes and avoid using my phone.
Avoiding your phone is the most important part! This is a time to relax and reconnect with yourself and nature.
22. Skincare
Wearing a mask doesn’t help your skin. I work 30 hours a week, and I often find small blackheads by my mouth. Make sure your skin is clean and moisturized!
I use First Aid Beauty’s Ultra Repair Cream and it seriously helps my dry skin.
23. Take a bath
I always take showers, but a while ago I took a bath for the first time in years. It’s truly a relaxing experience. Put on music, get some bubbles and maybe have a drink. Don’t go on your phone! Only relax.
24. Try yoga/meditation
Yoga counts as exercise, but it’s also relaxing. It takes discipline to do it.
Self-improvement Activities
25. Read a book
Naturally, I recommend reading, I’m an English major after all! Reading isn’t all lengthy, boring content. In my free time, I often read psychological thrillers.
I highly recommend reading Gillian Flynn’s books and watching the accompanying shows/films. Reading different books is a gateway into different universes, which helps when you are bored.
No matter what material it is, reading statistically makes you smarter. The only con here is that reading can take up all of your time if you do it enough!
26. Learn a new language
During my summers in high school, I attempted to learn several languages. I highly recommend Duolingo, it may not be great for grammar practice, but it has some excellent vocabulary work. The point system makes it like a fun game to practice every day.
Learning a language requires discipline, but it’s a habit that will ultimately benefit you in your social and professional life.
27. Cook
A fun game is to try and make a dish out of random leftovers. Or if you want to try a new recipe, research national dishes from different countries!
My goal is to make one recipe from my cookbooks every week or so. I have several Italian cookbooks, and I also have a couple of Gordon Ramsay books.
Beef Wellington is incredible! It takes a lot of effort, but it’s so worth it. I think it’s fun to try and make a fancy dish, that way it feels more special.
28. Bake
Baking can take an insanely long time, but it can be an exciting project for everyone. At the end of it, you are guaranteed to have leftovers for later! That’s not something you can guarantee when you make dinner.
29. Start a garden
Do some research about the growing season for specific plants, then go and start a mini garden in your house or outside.
My family usually grows tomatoes and cucumbers, plus some basil for pasta dishes. It’s a lot of work to set it up, but harvesting it and eating your creation makes it all worth it.
30. Learn a sport
I used to take dance classes, play basketball and play tennis. Some sports you can teach yourself.
For example, to learn control with a tennis racquet, I went to the handball court at my local park, and I played against the wall. I ended up being captain of the tennis team!
31. Bike riding
Bike riding is a great way to see the neighborhood and exercise at the same time. The best feeling is when you hit a hill, and you keep rolling without pedaling.
32. Go hiking
There are many different trails for the level of difficulty you desire. Personally, I’ve hiked the easy and hard parts of the Appalachian Trail in upstate New York.
The easy one went through farmland, but the hard one was more rewarding. I dragged myself to the top in my Converse!
Activities That Feel Like Chores
33. Catch up on schoolwork
We all have assignments we’ve been putting off. Use the Pomodoro Technique and time your work. Even if it’s 20 minutes, it’s progress!
As a result of having a job and school, I am often catching up on writing essays. Writing for an extended amount of time can become taxing, and it affects the quality of my work.
Taking a break is imperative to step back and review what you wrote, so you can get the highest grades!
34. Plan out your week/month/year
I have attempted bullet journaling several times, but I can’t follow through on it. I usually have a monthly calendar, a to-do list and reminders set on my phone.
This way I know exactly what I have to do for the current week, the next week and plans for the next month.
35. Clean your room
When school starts, everything else goes out the window. My room piles up with papers and clothes. Spending 5 minutes a day to clean can help maintain peace.
The 5 minutes could be putting clothes away, making the bed, cleaning your bag out, clearing your desk off, etc. In my opinion, deep cleaning is for when the semester is over.
36. Donate/sell your stuff
College students rack up lots of clothes and dorm supplies. Sell your clothes and/or furniture on DePop or Craigslist, or have a good old-fashioned yard sale. I made almost $100 on my last one.
37. Digital cleanup
After every semester, I clean out my computer files and Google Docs for things I don’t need anymore. I also go through my camera roll and apps to make sure I have space.
38. Maintain your finances
About once a month, I check the status of my loans, pay my credit card bill and check up on other important responsibilities.
It’s good to assess what exactly your money is going to. I spent an insane amount on shoes from my own store!
39. Search for internships/jobs
Recently, I had to update my resume, write cover letters and search for internships.
Having an organized system helped a lot. Make a spreadsheet of each job, the due dates, and what is required to submit.
Related: New Year’s Resolution Ideas- 100 SMART Goals To Change Your Life
Fun Summer Activities
40. Call a friend
There’s a good chance that your friends are bored, too. Call them and entertain each other or give yourselves that much-needed distraction.
During the pandemic, I was so bored that I called my friend every night for a few hours. When I finally saw her in person a year later, it seemed like it hadn’t been that long.
41. Spend time with family
COVID-19 created an opportunity for all of us to spend time with our immediate families. Unfortunately, some of us couldn’t see our older relatives for a year or longer (myself included).
Make sure to spend time with family, you never know how much time you’ll have left! My grandmother was in assisted living, and I never got to see her again. I miss her every day.
42. Go bowling
On a lighter note, I highly recommend going bowling. I used to refuse to go because I felt like it was something for kids. In college, I was required to take a gym class, and I took bowling!
It was really fun and a great way to meet people, especially because I’m a commuter student.
43. Go roller skating
This is another activity that I refused to do. I finally went recently, and I had a great time. I could barely skate, but it’s a way to bond with other people that can’t skate, too. It’s fairly cheap if you don’t go too often.
44. Go to the zoo
I love going to the zoo! On a hot summer day, my family and I go to the Queens Zoo, or the Bronx Zoo if we’re feeling ambitious. It’s fun to walk around and look at the animals. Afterward, we get Italian ices.
45. Go to a museum
Museums can be very cheap, depending on which ones you go to. When I go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art or the American Museum of Natural History, I get to donate whatever I want because I am a New York resident.
Museums are a great way to see the evolution of culture, and attending one can take hours! Then, I recommend getting sandwiches at the deli or going to eat brunch.
46. Go to the beach/pool
During the pandemic, I often went to my aunt’s house. We went to the pool and ate burgers and hot dogs afterward.
As a result of spending so much time there, we bonded a lot more, and it took away the boredom (and the heat).
47. Go to an amusement park
Amusement parks can get very expensive, so proceed with caution. However, it’s fun to get a thrill once and a while. If it’s too much, go play arcade games or on some of the kid rides!
48. Attend a sports event
I go to one baseball game per year. It’s fairly cheap if there’s a deal going on. The energy at the games is amazing. I love yelling with the people in the stands with me.
49. Plan a road trip
During the school year, I dream of all the places I’ll go (Dr. Seuss reference intended) during the summer.
I’ve tried planning the cheapest road trips to different states, or even a trip around the entire country. It gives you something to look forward to when school is over.
50. Take a drive/take a bus somewhere
Occasionally, I fail to appreciate my home city of Queens, New York. Recently, I’ve made the effort to explore different neighborhoods every time I go out.
This doesn’t break the bank as I simply try somewhere new to eat, or just walk around. This has changed my perspective, and it gave me more things to do!
Final Thoughts on Things To Do When Bored
Life can be very exciting and busy on many days, but there are also days on which you may feel like there is nothing to do to keep yourself occupied.
I hope that this list of best things to do when bored helps you think of a few new activities!
Check out this video describing a few more awesome things to do during the summer and you won’t even need to leave your house! Watch this video for more fun stuff!
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