The Five TV Shows To Watch During Study Breaks

As the semester begins to wind down, the flood of tests, projects, and papers is inevitable. And while I would never be one to advocate procrastination (that’s not to say that I don’t put off starting my work), there’s something about starting a new TV show. It can erase the frustration that comes with staring at a blank computer screen for hours attempting to start a paper whose due date is quickly growing nearer.

Here are the five TV shows, new and old, that are guaranteed to put a smile on your face even after a long afternoon spent in the cold, sad comfort of a library cubicle. Grab your Netflix password and a fuzzy blanket and get ready to forget for a blissful hour that you really should be making study guides and stressing over getting a coveted B School breakout room. As important as school is, you also have to remember to give yourself a break once in a while. So, good luck studying everyone and enjoy your little procrastination breaks…you deserve them!

The Mindy Project (2012-)

Let’s just be honest, who doesn’t secretly kind of want to be Mindy Kaling? The woman created, writes for, and stars in her own award-wining TV show. Pretty impressive, right? And her show has humor, wit, and British accents…and that’s really all I need to be hooked.

The O.C. (2003-2007)

Make fun of me all you want but this show will forever hold a place in my heart–and forever inspire just the tiniest bit of anger that it was taken off the air years too soon. Starring a group of teenagers (who were definitely way cooler and lead way more exciting lives than I ever did in high school), this show is a prime example of escapism at its best. 

Top Chef (2006-)

When all you’ve eaten for the past 24 hours is Easy-Mac and candy you got out of the vending machine, you’re gonna need something to remind you that good food actually exists out there in the real world. This cooking competition has traveled all around the country, from San Francisco to Vegas to Austin and the current season is set in New Orleans. Maybe this classic will even inspire you to step away from the microwave and flex your own culinary skills. 

Friends  (1994-2004)

This one might seem obvious, but it took me an hour of wracking my brain to remember this classic that always made starting my homework in high school just a little bit more pleasant. It’s something about the familiarity of watching these beloved characters grab coffee at Central Perk, or rewatching an episode for the umpteenth time, that is just instantly relaxing. This show is one that just never gets old, which is perfect for a night spent relaxing after a particularly stressful exam. 

Grey’s Anatomy (2005-)

Full disclosure…this one is not guaranteed to put a smile on your face. In fact, throughout the 10 seasons that Grey’s has been on the air, numerous car crashes, plane crashes, shootings, and tragedies of pretty much every variety imaginable have brought tears to viewers’ eyes. And while I’m certainly not admitting to shedding tears over fictional characters (shhhh…), this hospital drama will have you on the edge of your seat waiting to find out what happens next .