Alright, let’s be real. We’ve all had those moments where you don’t want to get out of bed, or you keep looking at your homework and try and try and try to do it, but eventually you just want it to burn.
A-student or OK-student, procrastination is a thing. It’s here, and it’s real, and I’d look up the statistic, but I’ll just do that later.
Are you sick of feeling like a lazy bum, sitting at your desk with tons and tons of homework to do? Do you want to feel productive, without actually doing homework? Here are a few things to help you feel more productive, when you just want to feed your syllabus to a rabid squirrel (Lord knows we have more than a few here on campus).
1. DO YOUR LAUNDRY
Come on. It’s been sitting there all week, and you’re running out of cute socks, and your bra is starting to smell, but it’s your favorite bra and you want to keep using it. So just grab your hamper, grab some Tide Pods, and throw your laundry in (not literally, of course. I hope that all of you know how to do your own laundry here). This 30-40 minute break between putting your clothes in the washer and switching them to the dryer gives you a chance to shower, grab some food from Montgoris, or watch an episode of Big Bang Theory on French Netflix
2. Teach Yourself to Crochet/Knit
My freshman year, I was getting really stressed out about all of my midterms coming up, and I didn’t have a job, and I was missing home, and I was just a general hot mess. My grandma used to tell me that sewing calmed her down, but I didn’t exactly bring a sewing machine into the dorms. So I went on Amazon and ordered a small pack of yarn for about $6.00, as well as a pair of knitting needles, and taught myself how to knit with How-To articles online. My grandma later taught me how to crochet, and I have to say, it’s the most relaxing thing I’ve ever done. The monotonous work of the yarn, as well as the amazement that comes from finishing your first scarf has got to be one of the most calming things that I have ever experienced. Plus, you have a cute present for your best friend’s birthday that you totally didn’t forget was last week.
3. Catch up on Netflix
Along with the whole back-to-school feel comes new seasons of shows! Be it Doctor Who, Once Upon a Time, or Grey’s Anatomy, you’ve probably fallen behind on an episode or two. And even if you haven’t, you could always stand for a refresher, right? Plus, all four seasons of Heroes is on Netflix, and I mean, Heroes: Reborn is a thing, and it looks amazing.
4. Organize Your Agenda
Not everyone keeps a meticulous and slightly anal-retentive day planner like I do, but it helps when you have to figure out which club meetings are going on during Common Hour, or what assignment is due when. Take a spare composition notebook, or spiral, or really whatever kind of journal you’d like, and create your own agenda. Or if you have one, update it. The professors’ syllabi are not always spot-on; things are bound to change throughout the semester. Unfortunately, when something is planned for a certain day, any number of things could happen that cause the lesson to not be complete, or end too quickly (trust me- I’m an education major). When you have your agenda laid out in front of you and you see exactly what you have to do, and when you have to do it by, and all of your classes’ work is in the same place, it makes juggling an 18-credit semester a little easier.
5. CALL YOUR MOTHER/FATHER/SISTER/FAMILY MEMBER
If you live on campus, your family misses you whether they admit it or not. And as liberating as it is to be away from home, you know that some part of you misses them, too. My only sibling is a junior in high school, so being the first one to leave, my mom freaks out anytime she goes more than 24 hours without hearing from me. Keep in mind, this is my second year of college. It was every 12 hours last year. Talk about your pets, or how little/often you’ve gone sightseeing. Talk about your professors, or the clubs you’ve joined/thought about joining. But most of all, tell them how much you miss them. Even if you don’t feel it now, they do, and you will too, eventually. It’s also a great way to get your mind off of how many lab reports or readings you have due for your 9:05.
6. Do Homework for another Class
Sometimes, when I really don’t want to work on homework for one of my classes, I work on easier, or less intimidating homework. It might not be due by midnight tomorrow like that essay you’ve only got the introductory paragraph done for, but you’re still doing work, right?
7. Go Exploring!
I’m serious! Get on the Q46, and then take the E into Manhattan. Don’t wander around like a tourist, because you could very well get targeted by pickpockets, but visit places you haven’t seen before. Text your squad for a random excursion in Brooklyn, or train hop all day and get to know the train routes around this wonderful city. (Don’t forget your laptop, in case inspiration suddenly hits and you can work on homework) We live in one of the greatest cities in the world- why shouldn’t we exploit that? And we also go to school on one of the most beautiful campuses I’ve ever seen- have you ever just gone and explored campus? Did you know we have a garden? And there’s a pretty fountain in front of Newman Hall, on the quad next to the Great Lawn. You can get the prettiest view of what few stars we can see when you grab a blanket and lay out on the Great Lawn at 1am. Plus, THE VIEW OF MANHATTAN at the top of the Great Stairs/Alumni Stairs/Whatever you want to call those Hellish Stairs that leave me out of breath on the daily. That view is what completely sold me on St. John’s. Yeah, we’ve got some kinks to work out with facilities or with the quality of food, but the aesthetics of our campus. Just clear your mind and walk around campus one night (with a buddy, of course- we’re a safe campus, but you can never be too safe) and take it all in.
And once you’ve done this…
8. DO YOUR HOMEWORK, YOU PROCRASTINATOR!
I mean, you have to do it at some point, right?
All the best!