Surely, we’ve all been there at least once: a long lecture in Smith Labs, where most of your classmates are malodorous engineering majors. It never fails, does it?

As if it could get any worse, the person to your right is sitting too close to you and the person to your left is too focused on playing Papa’s Hot Doggeria on their iPad. Meanwhile, the freshman behind you won’t just clear their throat and you’re just trying your best to focus on the PowerPoint on the screen.

You’re trying not to make a scene or blow a gasket because, after all, you do pay for this class and don’t want to become the next campus joke on YikYak. You’re overwhelmed, but what do you do? Here are 5 of our favorite coping mechanisms.

1 – Use your free New York Times subscription.

Now, I’m not suggesting that you read any of the articles on their website if you don’t want to. Who am I, your teacher? Your mom? No. Just your comedic fairy godmother telling you that the NYT games are fun. Granted, your subscription through OSU only gives you free access to a few of the games, but it’s enough to distract you. While it’s no better than those playing Cool Math Games in lectures, if you can’t beat them, you might as well join them.

2 – Take advice from Daniel Tiger. 

Yes, he is a children’s cartoon character, but you gotta admit that he’s better at emotional regulation than you are. You can’t say he doesn’t spit bars, especially when he says,

“When you feel so mad that you wanna roar
Take a deep breath, and count to four
One, two, three, four
Now that you’re calm, you can figure it out
Remember these words, and let’s talk it out”

3 – Step outside for some fresh air. 

Sometimes it can be easy to forget that you have free will and can leave your lecture at any time for a few moments, whether it’s for the bathroom or to get some fresh air. Especially if you were forced to raise your hand for everything in middle and high school. Guess what! You’re an adult now! Go stare at the posters hanging up around the halls, walk to the RPAC for a smoothie, or take a stroll around Mirror Lake… whatever you gotta do, just try to get back before the lecture ends!

4 – Make up fake scenarios in your head.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like if you had written fanfics on Tumblr when you were 13? Well now is the perfect time to take on that role and imagine that One Direction is going to miraculously waltz into your lecture to say they’re adopting you. Or, perhaps you can feed into the delusions about your class crush—he did momentarily make eye contact with you today, after all 😉

5 – Join the Sundial GroupMe.

Come up with silly little story pitches that play off of your current situation, make jokes, and watch your attempts at satire be validated by those in the chat who should probably be paying attention in their respective classes as well. How else do you think we come up with half of our content?

Written by Presley Orndorff