10 Things I Did Instead of Studying!

Well, Buckeyes, spring break has come to a close and all I can say is…Why so soon?!

Today I want to see just how many of my proud fellow Buckeyes are suffering from the highly contagious and dreaded disease known as (dun dun dun) PROCRASTINATION!

download (3)

Most of us have been there: It’s the night before an exam, homework or a paper is due, and you’ve been staring at your computer for the last 3 hours with absolutely nothing to show for your inner turmoil. Afterward, you promise yourself you won’t wait until last minute ever again, but the real question is how do we get here in the first place? Here’s my list of things I consider to be my biggest time-wasting temptations:

Watching anything and everything interesting on Netflix or Hulu.

good-guy-netflix-meme-2

Whether you like to watch a series at a time or explore the wide-ranging selection of B-Movies, Netflix is an awesome way to help the hours pass by.

Facebooking, Tweeting, Skyping, Instagramming, etc.

fb1

In one second you can be reading an article in an academic journal and the next you’re liking the last 10 statuses your buddies posted about the crappy weather outside.

Finding memes to post that illustrate just how distracted you feel.

college-wins-27

You know you’ve done it! Whether it’s Condescending Wonka, Futurama Fry or ermahgerd girl, you’ve found a meme that speaks to you and posted it for all of your friends to see.

Watching videos on YouTube.

1334378472545_7196895

You can sink quite a few hours into watching just about anything on YouTube; in the land of funny cats and viral videos, you are sure to be entertained.

Cleaning (a new level of desperation, but effective).

image

Hmmm, study for your Calc midterm or do the dishes? Normally I’d go with the third option (neither); however, if you need to feel like you’ve accomplished something while doing basically nothing, cleaning your room, apartment or house is always a great option.

Playing with your (or others’) pets.

g1355281523512700761

Pretty self-explanatory; however, the amount of creativity you are capable of possessing when needing a distraction can be quite scary. 

Complaining to others about whatever assignment you have due.

images

All of your buddies are going to the movies but you have economics homework due. What’s wrong with texting them sad face emoticons all night? After all, misery loves company.

 Browsing Pinterest.

pinterest

Clothes, funny memes, food, celebrities in weird situations…It’s the best example one can give of how a picture is worth a thousand words. The best part? You can flood Facebook newsfeeds with pictures of stuff your friends probably won’t find even the slightest bit interesting.

Playing video games.

Video-Game-Addiction

The culprit responsible for the downfall of even the most devoted college students—video games! From PC to PS3, plenty of people have found themselves completely obsessed with some sort of digital distraction in one form or another, and no judgment on the fact that you may have spent your entire weekend playing Grand Theft Auto V or Call of Duty.

 Sleeping.

sleeping-in-class-level-brazillian_o_656459

What do we want? SLEEP! When do we want it?! Whenever we can get it! I won’t lie, next to Netflix this may be one of my favorite activities to engage in. It’s completely free, good for you and requires absolutely no effort. I just wouldn’t suggest napping during lecture (usually doesn’t end well).

All right, so we’ve covered the basics of Procrastination 101, but what now? If nothing else, hopefully you’ve found this to be a pretty helpful reflection on just how normal it is for you to find yourself easily distracted. Plenty of us have to fight the temptation to put off assignments or studying until later and it’s not unheard of to lose the battle and give in. However, it’s important to know that if you are falling behind in your classes or find yourself earning bad grades despite your best efforts there is plenty of help to get you back on track.

The Younkin Success Center, conveniently located on Neil Avenue next to Bruegger’s Bagels and across from Hamilton Hall, is a great resource for those of us who need a little academic boost. They offer free tutoring five days a week, a Learning Center dedicated to helping students develop helpful and effective strategies related to studying, note taking and exams, Career Counseling, and Wellness Services.

No one ever said college would be easy, but you should never feel as though it’s impossible to succeed. With the right tools, and a positive attitude you can make these years some of the best of your life all you need is to let your motivation defeat your procrastination.