Although it's only the first week, you can already tell which classes are going to be a complete disaster. Sometimes that disaster means fascinating but difficult material complete with long library days and custom study guides. Other times it's that terrifying alternative: boring lectures with endless slides.

However, there are ways to navigate around the latter to make time pass a little faster.

• The text message shuffle- While there are only so many "what u you doing, I'm sooo bored" texts you can send in a two hour lecture, sending a few could provide the pick-me-up you need to keep going.

• The laptop switcheroo- Taking notes or busy checking Facebook? The world will never know.

• The old reliable crossword/sudoku tearout- This gem can be hidden in a number of ways and always pulls through as a solid time cruncher.

While these are just a few, the goal here isn't to shirk the responsibilities of the class, or even zone out completely. It's just that sometimes you need a little time to regain your thoughts in order to be the best Terp you can be.