What better to do with finals coming up than reading an article about procrastination?! We’ve all been there—you have tons of homework to do and finals to study for, but you really don’t want to. You can’t just waste your time by doing nothing, so you turn to productive procrastination. For those of you who are unfamiliar with it, productive procrastination is the art of engaging in generally productive activity to avoid whatever pressing assignment is looming over your head. Here are some of our favorites.
1. Doing laundry
Ah yes, the joy of doing laundry. Nobody likes it, but there are not many things in this world worse than reading 120 pages of a musty old textbook, followed up with a 4 page essay for some college writing course, and don’t forget that calculus problem set that’s due at midnight. At least if you do laundry, you’re getting something done that needs doing. Your mom should really be proud of you!
2. Checking email
Thanks to Sam the Minuteman, Coach Whipple, and UPC, you always have at least one email looming in your inbox. You might as well check them now. I mean there’s no time like the present, right? Plus, if you don’t keep an eye on them, they’ll pile up and consume even more time later. Who knew email could be so much fun?
3. Changing the sheets and/or cleaning your room
This one is great. Not only can you spend time doing these needed and pressing life duties, you can also collect all of your laundry in the process and do that too! Look at how efficiently you are procrastinating, A+ for you!
4. Calling mom and dad
Nobody, especially mom and dad, can complain about this one. We all need a little love and support in our lives. Who could possibly blame you for calling home instead of doing homework? Family comes first. Bonus: since they haven’t seen you in weeks, you can talk about any little thing you have done because they want to hear it all. You can make this conversation as long as you want.
5. Going to the gym
Major props to anybody who does this one. For us mere mortals, going to the gym can require just as much motivation as doing homework. But, if you’re like me, you get super antsy after sitting at a desk studying, so this is a good one if you need to mix up your pace throughout the day.
6. Taking a shower
This works perfectly if you just got back from the gym! Seriously though, you’ve got to shower anyway, it may as well be at prime studying time. A nice warm shower and some poorly sung tunes will surely help you on that exam tomorrow. Plus, everybody needs some good relaxation.
7. Snapping photos of the fall colors, the campus pond, or your favorite service dog in the never ending quest to get on the campus story
Just admit it, you, like everybody else, have raced down your hallway in one of those rolling desk chairs, either racing a friend or yelled something obnoxious in an attempt to accomplish every UMass student’s actual life goal—to achieve the lifelong glory of getting on the campus story and being amongst the league of snapchat champions. Should you be in the library doing homework instead? Probably, but you’re having fun, so it can’t be all bad.
Remember, Collegiettes, if you’re going to procrastinate, make it productive!