It’s that glorious time of the year again: midterms. Just as we feel like we’ve finally settled into another year, the dreaded week (or if you’re unlucky it gets dragged out longer) of midterms hits and all you can do is wish fall break would be here already. But don’t worry, here’s ten things to do when you just can’t study anymore.
1. Take a walk around campus
Most of us only walk around campus on our way to and from class and most of the time we’re in a rush to get somewhere or looking at our cellphones the whole time. This is your chance to take a stroll, walk slower, and enjoy what campus has to offer. It may look completely different when you’re choosing to do it on your own time.
2. Grab a snack from your favorite coffee shop
Sometimes all we need is a quick, delicious snack to get our minds back on track. Even if it’s just a quick coffee break, you might run into a friend and a friendly conversation could help you distress for a few minutes. Whether it’s coffee, a snack, or both, you can never go wrong with a tasty treat to reward yourself for studying.
3. Do an art project
Lots of people think art projects are just for kids, but chances are you would still enjoy them now. I mean, who doesn’t love to finger paint or make string bracelets. Is that really something you grow out of? Whatever the project may be, take a trip to a local crafts store and rediscover those old projects you used to love doing. There’s nothing wrong with letting yourself be a kid again sometimes.
4. Call a family member that you’ve been meaning to call but haven’t had time
Remember how you told grandma that you’d call her again soon? Chances are that was three weeks ago. I’m not saying you’re to blame, you probably have been busy with other things, but take a few minutes to finally call her back. It might be just what you need to de-stress.
5. Stalk yourself on Facebook
I suggest to stalk yourself in an effort not to encourage stalking other people and accidentally liking a picture from five years ago, but whoever you choose to stalk I’m sure it’ll bring a smile to your face. We tend to forget about how we looked in middle school or ignore our awkward phases until we’re forced to relive them through pictures, but now that you’re past that hopefully the pictures will give you a good laugh, unless it’s still too soon.
6. Delete old contacts, pictures, or messages on your phone
Most people don’t realize how much storage on their phone is taken up by things they never even look at and are constantly bombarded by the “running low on storage” message. You’ll be surprised at how much space you can free up by taking a few minutes to delete the things you don’t need.
7. Search the app store for new games to download with all the free space you just created
Everyone has Candy Crush and Trivia Crack, but search the app store for something fun that hasn’t been discovered by the entire world yet. There’s so many out there, I promise this could lead to a lot more than a few minutes of procrastination. And then when you get hooked, well I can’t help you then.
8. Explore the new app you just downloaded
If it’s a game, learn how to play it. If it’s a social media app, learn how to use it and connect with others. Whatever it may be, learn the in’s and out’s of the new app so you can tell your friends all about it (assuming that you’re already in love with it).
9. Make a bucket list for this year
There’s never a shortage of things to do in New Orleans, but sometimes it’s not easy to keep track of everything we want to do. Don’t let the semester (or school year) fly by without making sure you try to do everything that interests you. Include festivals, restaurants, and anything else you can think of… And then do it all!
10. Plan out your Halloween costume
Unfortunately I think we all know all too well what it feels like to realize it’s October 30th and you never figured out a Halloween costume. So this year, instead of scrambling last minute to figure out how you can put those random things in the back of your closet together to create a costume that makes sense (although you might be surprised by what’s been hiding back there for so long), take a break and plan now. You’ll be glad that even if you should be studying you still used the time for something necessary.
Whatever you choose to do to procrastinate, the important thing is to remember to take a break from studying every so often. Midterms can be a very stressful time, but they don’t have to be if you give yourself time to relax too! Good luck!