Most of the college students I know (myself included) have attention spans equivalent to hyperactive puppies. This can lead to wasting hours upon hours taking “study breaks” on the internet, a practice that is often detrimental to our grades. I’ve found that it’s more productive to set aside five-minute study-breaks every hour or so that involve getting up from my desk. Here are a few ideas:
Take a dance break to do the cotton eye joe dance, the cha cha slide (this will bring you back to the good old days of Bar and Bat Mitzahs), or to shake your hips to Danza Kudoro. Moving around will revamp your energy and help you de-stress.
Get out of your dorm, go over to Mem Hill or the social hill, and roll down. It’s fun, exhilarating, and a return to your childhood. Plus it’s an excuse to get outside for a few minutes.
Use your study breaks as an excuse to get fit. That’s productive right? If you do 100 sit ups for five minutes, you will burn 30 calories and work toward that six pack. You’ll also burn 30 calories doing pushups at a moderate pace for five minutes. Maybe that doesn’t seem like a whole lot to burn, but if you’re doing sit-ups or push-ups for five minutes every hour, that will add up!
Offer your roommate a massage, as long as she gives you one back. Or braid each other’s hair. Both are great ways to get away from your desk and relax for a few minutes. It’s also good to ensure that you interact with other people so that you remember that the world exists outside of your research paper.
The internet is a dangerous procrastination tool, so try procrastinating away from your computer! It’s not as easy to get lost in real life as it is on tumblr/facebook. Your abs and your GPA will thank you.