Productive Procrastination

It’s finals week: exams to study for, papers to write, presentations to prepare, practice and present. I am queen of procrastination on homework, so you can guarantee finals week is the worst, however, I generally manage to get a lot done, just nothing academic. When you need a break from the books, here are some tasks we all know we need to get done, but generally are put off until there is something else we don’t want to do even more.
 

Laundry – Folding shirts, hanging up dress pants, matching and balling socks, making our bed. I generally don’t do laundry until I’m out of workout socks. If you watch the clock, you can have your batch (or batches) of laundry in and out of the laundry room in roughly an hour and 38 minutes. It doesn’t take long, but I hate doing it. Finals week – I smell dryer sheet fresh all week long.
 
Cleaning the apartment – I’m a pretty tidy, clean person (in shared spaces, my desk/closet is another story) but I can assured you the kitchen will be spotless and reorganized during finals if I’m really trying to avoid math problems and memorization. It’s been a full semester, how old is some of the stuff in the fridge? Or on your self in the pantry? What about in the bathroom, has the cold med or ibuprofen expired (because it does about every 18 months)? Throw it out! Have an old toothbrush? Be Cinderella and get down on your hands and knees and give the bathtub a good scrub.
 

Organize your email inbox – I get a ton of emails throughout the semester from professors, student groups, family and friends. Rarely do I have time to go through it after reading it. Yet, finals week rolls around and the deleting and labeling begin. I keep three email boxes: email lists, personal and my school account. They all are Gmail based, which has an amazing color coding and archived features, so I get busy with a massive overhaul. I take the time to reconnect with babysitting clients from home (if I’m going home for the summer), check in with teachers from high school and make plans with friends to visit. 
 
Hit the gym – I try to be physically active, usually I aim to run or hit the gym twice a week, maybe a third but as I get busy it gets incredibly hard. Once finals week rolls around and classes have ended, I somehow gain all the time in the world to go to the gym. Hate going when it’s busy, you might just be on of the only ones there, unless everyone procrastinates at the gym. Try the off hours or when you know a big final, that isn’t yours, is scheduled for.
 

Call home – My parents stopped calling me after freshman year when I was generally busy when they’d call. They know I’ll call when I’m stressed out, have time, if I’m bored or procrastinating. Catch up with your mom, dad, little brother or sister. Ask about your aunts and uncles, your moms tennis group, your dad’s latest business trip. What funny things have your cats, dogs, birds, or goldfish done? What’s happing at the high school? Any local heroes? Gossip from the neighborhood? How’s the high way reconstruction going?
 
Getting ahead – The semester is basically over, what are you going to when it actually does end? My Google search history from finals week always includes possible internship opportunities and scholarship contests. Don’t spend too much time researching your options, but it is a nice break from the classroom to know what you could be doing in the future.
 
Then, there’s always the obvious, start packing – Once finals end, summer is around the corner, which means a move. Even if you are staying on campus, it’s rare that you don’t have to move across a quad or down the street. Get the Tupperware containers and suitcases out from under nether your bed and start sorting through your belongings. What can you get rid of: trash, give to a friend, or donate?