It's a beautiful day. The sun is beaming, a crisp fall breeze is whistling through the trees, the sky is unbelievably clear. It's like the world forgot that you have to write three papers, pass two midterms, and conquer a small mountain of relatively pointless assignments all in the next week. Of course you're studying, but the world beckoning to you from the window next to your designated spot at the library is extremely distracting. Of course the only logical thing to do is open Facebook, but only for a second, and then get back to work. But then that second turns to an hour, the day is pretty much over, and your mountain of homework lays untouched. Procrastination is inevitable; however, there is so much more to procrastination than Facebook-stalking. I present your personal guide to a better procrastination.
A great way to procrastinate but not to feel too bad about it is to use your time to make plans.
You could finally plan your trip home for Thanksgiving or plan a night to catch up with those floor-mates you kind of forgot existed. You could even plan out the time that you're going to put aside to study (later, clearly). By planning out your time you're essentially guaranteeing you'll get more done later, as you're dealing with this other stuff now! You can separate subjects and events by different colored pens, maybe write in different fonts for each day of the week — who knows, the possibilities for spicing up your schedule are endless! Calculus can't really be that terrible if it's all planned in pink, right? Now, sticking to your new, organized schedule...that's a challenge.
If you need a break from staring at your computer screen in your attempt to catch up on lectures, instead of taking a nap or looking at your phone (only a smaller screen, it won't help), you should go outside.
I know, it sounds crazy. Being indoors is convenient, but it is also confining. Go on a run if you're feeling ambitious, or just walk down the street to get a coffee — either way, getting some fresh air and having a temporary change of scenery will be a healthier distraction than your Tinder.
For the peak of your procrastination, there's the worst thing about being an adult: chores. 
I'm talking doing your laundry, changing your sheets, buying groceries, doing your taxes, cleaning your bathroom — the whole shebang. Only these rudimentary things could possibly be more terrible than your English paper, and they may even lead you back to the work you've been avoiding.
Now, sometimes studying can really bring you down. I get it; attempting to teach yourself chemistry is exhausting and can feel fruitless. For these emotional moments, your best procrastination strategy is to treat yourself. 
Get dinner nicer than Chipotle. Buy that pair of shoes you have saved in your online shopping bag for months. Take an extra long shower even if it does use up all your hot water. If you feel better about life, you'll feel better about taking a stab at that problem set you've been putting off.
If you've done all these things and still need to procrastinate, there's only one thing guaranteed to take you back to your work: call your parents.
Let's be honest, when's the last time you called them and didn't ask about your debit card balance? Your parents most likely will be thrilled to hear from you, and hearing all about their lives is definitely a distraction worthy of your time. Your parents may also temporarily pity you when you whine about all the things you have to get done, and then gently (let's hope) remind you that homework is just a part of the whole college thing that they are, in fact, fully funding. Reassurance, or maybe just guilt, should bring you to the end of your procrastination.
I will admit, I do spend a lot of time with Netflix and social media when I should be reading. But why waste my time procrastinating with the same things that everyone else is using to procrastinate? I challenge you to dare to be different. Maybe you can actually fill out your planner rather than digging up your roommate's Facebook statuses from 2008? Whether it's with a trip to the world outside your room (that doesn't include the walk to class!) or with a call to mom, happy procrastinating!
