It’s that time of the semester, and for most of us when it comes to finals, there’s always something else we’d rather be doing. To help get you through not studying for finals, we’ve put together here a well-researched set of ten of the best ways to procrastinate instead of looking over your notes or doing that big project gathering dust on your desk. So, without further ado and in no particular order, here they are!
1. Switching back and forth between the same three social media apps for hours on end!
Nothing is updating, and when it is, it’s never more than one post at a time. But don’t worry: you’ll be able to say you saw your friend’s half-asleep rambling post declaring how tired they are of studying for finals in real time.
2. Taking a nap!
Finals are a great time to get caught up on all the rest you’ve missed out on over the rest of the semester! The hope that maybe this time when you wake up all your academic stress will have disappeared completely will always be dangling overhead, too. Unfortunately, this is almost never true, but hey – maybe after the next nap.
3. Finally organizing every digital file on every device you own!
You’ve been meaning to clean out your photos anyway, and you can consolidate some of these notepad files into a single note, and don’t forget about the downloads folder on your computer – maybe it’s time to install some of those free fonts you found four months ago!
4. Suddenly getting really invested in your phone games!
Whether it’s one you’ve had for years, one you just installed or one you deleted years ago and are reinstalling right now because you remember it as being okay enough to waste some time on, phone games, like social media, have your back when it comes to procrastination. Except when they require waiting for energy points to refill, and then you’re stuck switching between three or five… or ten… But hey, beats thinking about that essay you have due!
5. Blasting through a bunch of television episodes!
After all, the new season of “She-Ra” is out, and there’s always some cool show you haven’t seen before – or, you know, you’ve been meaning to rewatch your favorite series anyway. Better start from the beginning of a 15 season show, just to be safe.
6. Sorting through your playlists on Spotify!
You have one for every conceivable mood you could possibly be in. There’s nothing like putting the same song in every playlist you’ve ever made, then reconsidering and deleting it off of one or two so you can feel accomplished for not being really in love with one song.
7. Obsessively cleaning your room!
Nothing like the threat of having to look at your own incoherent class notes to suddenly inspire you to find a vacuum cleaner. And it probably wouldn’t hurt to take a Clorox
8. Trying to learn how to cook a real actual meal!
You’ve been living on takeout and microwave burritos for a semester, so
9. Packing everything you can in preparation for going home for the summer!
It’s technically productive, and it lets you think about that sweet, sweet time when finals are over – so it’s the perfect procrastination activity. And then when you have to go take your final, you’ll have to dig through your packed clothes for a pair of socks, but who’s thinking about that, really?
10. Taking a two hour-long shower and using all the hot water!
The people who need to shower after you aren’t going to need water any warmer than freezing, so hop on in there and dissociate while getting clean! Time to think about all the things you’re procrastinating on and all the ways you’re going to fail your finals and all the horrible negative consequences that will have on your future… Actually, maybe it’s just better to study for finals after all.