5 Grad Games to Help You Pass the Time

Graduation Day. The most important day of your college career. (At least for your parents.) A day to celebrate. A day to remember. A day  to cherish. A day…that can definitely get pretty boring. Because while our parents and professors may be up for a few hours of ceremony and speeches, I personally feel like I could do without the hours upon hours of speeches that college seniors have to deal with… but speeches we will have to endure. (Want a preview? Check out our graduation speech mashup.)

By Jenn Inzetta

Or at least, you know, pretend to endure. Because while we can’t get out of listening to those speeches, we can make them a little bit more entertaining. Sure you’ll have to sit there quietly and listen to your president speak, listen to the valedictorian speak, and listen to the commencement speaker give his or her big speech. But that doesn’t mean your mind is not allowed to wander right? I mean it’s only natural. So let it wander on over to one of these games.

1. Count the “Likes, Okays, Ums, and Yeas”

Speeches getting boring? That’s okay. Focus on the speech impediments instead. Every speaker has them. Whether it be a tendency to say like far too often, um in between every other word, or phrase every statement like it’s a question, every speaker has one. In high school, I had a math teacher who said “um kay” after every single sentence. I spent many a math class keeping track of just how many times she could say that particular phrase in a 40 minute period. Want a hint? It was well over ninety.

2. Create Your Own Game of Most Likely To…

Take a look around you. This is the class of 2011 looking put together and professional, sitting quietly, smiling happily , and making their parents proud. Today they all look like great little graduates. But you know the truth. You know who they really are, what they do on the weekends, and what their chances of succeeding really are. So instead of listening to your commencement speaker drone on and on about being all you can be, decide what they can be. Create futures for them. Not only is it entertaining, it’s also cathartic.

3. The Congratulations Drinking Game

Really, this one is pretty simple. Take a shot for every time someone says congratulations to you. Now If you’re brave enough to pull the flask out of your gown at graduation, all the more power to you. If you’re not quite that adventurous than keep a tally in your head. And ask your friends to do the same. It will make for a great after party.

4. Play MadLibs with the Commonly Known Phrases

Every college speech uses the same phrases despite how original they try to be. Today begins the rest of your lives. You are the future. Be all that you can be. You’ve worked so hard for this day to finally arrive. Blah, blah, blah. We get it. You know what these speakers are going to say before they even say it. So why not make it a little more interesting by mixing it up a little bit. MadLibs style. Today begins the (adjective)(noun) of your (adjective) lives. Today begins the biggest downfall of your sex lives. How’s that for a commencement speech? Not so inspiring but definitely unexpected

5. Sex It Up

You know those commonly used phrases I just mentioned? Well add a “that’s what she said” at the end of them. Or take a page from the fortune cookie rule and add an “in bed” to the end for good measure. Childish? Yep. Immature? Sure. Entertaining? Absolutely.

Go any other ways to pass the time during those less than entertaining commencement day speeches?