Some are pro-pineapple on pizza. Some are pro-fessional athletes. I am pro-crastinating on writing an essay right now. So what better to do than to make a list of productive things you can do while procrastinating!
1. Clean Your Room
Now I'm not talking about just putting the stuff that's lying out back where it belongs. No. I mean clean the toilet, see how disgusting it is, then noticing the shower's dirty (don't forget to clean the curtain rod!), and then moving on to your sink, dropping something and realizing the little ledge that goes all the way around your room is incredibly dusty, clean that, dust desks and drawers and dressers and the window sill, etc. Oh and vacuum, and then clean out the vacuum including the hair that is stuck in the bottom.
2. Buy new wipes
If you did step number one correctly, you should be out of wipes. So go buy some new ones.
3. Hang that poster up on your wall that you've been meaning to
I mean, you've been meaning to do that for a while, so it's pretty productive.
4. Take a long shower
Make sure you get every single spot while shaving.
5. Reorganize your room
Or just make everything in the room look neat. You can't work when things aren't perfectly perpendicular to each other.
6. Take out the trash
Your trash should be full of dirty wipes. Look at you, cleaning and taking out the trash! You're adulting like a pro!
7. Go grocery shopping
Maybe even buy healthy stuff! Ok who are we kidding here. Use those extra meals before Thursday night on a 6-pack kraft mac n' cheese.
8. Do your laundry
Make sure you get all the lint out of the dryer before putting your clothes in. And I'm not just talking about what's in the tray. Chances are if you use your dorm's dryer there will be lint in that space where the tray is supposed to be. Get it out. And take all the time you need.
9. Iron your clothes
I mean, you can't go around with wrinkly clothes. Oh and while you're at it, might as well iron your roommate's too, that's a nice thing to do.
10. Call your family
It's important to call your family, and they'll love hearing from you! Feel free to spend as much time on the phone and call as many family members as you want.
11. Do other homework
If I'm doing homework, I'm still being productive, right?
12. Do club work
If you're a part of a club, committee, or greek life, chances are you have some work to do for that. I mean, you made a commitment to that club, so it's totally okay and productive to put that work over your essay.
13. Find/make dorm decor
By decorating your dorm and door, you are making the space more homey and also making your community (floor) more lively. Plus if you make the craft you'll feel more productive. Bonus points if you do it with your roommate.
14. Make a schedule for the week
If you aren't writing your essay now, you might as well plan a time that you'll write that essay.
15. Be the "mom" friend
Whether it be repeatedly calling your friend to make sure he's awake to register for classes, or needing to clean his sink after gagging at it's sight, being the "mom" friend is very productive, as you are helping them to be more productive.
16. Do something nice for your roomie
No matter what your current relationship with your roommate is, by doing something nice your relationship will grow stronger, and a good relationship with your roommate is very helpful for having a good college experience. So what are you going to remember in the future? Your awesome relationship with your roommate and the great college experience that came out of it, or the essay that you finished before the due date? Some examples of things you could do include writing them a note, taking out their trash, or baking them yummy food.
17. Browse jobs/write resume
Most of the time, the whole reason you're at college is to further your career. Therefore it's good to check out job options, giving you a goal and reason to write the damn essay. Also if your resume needs updating (or you don't have a resume yet) then it is actually a really productive thing that you should do ASAP. You never know when you'll need it.
18. Nap
I was hesitant to put this on the list because some people may deem napping as "lazy" and therefore unproductive. However, if you're able to take a 30 minute (and I mean 30 minutes max, otherwise you'll be groggy after) power nap, you'll wake up with the energy you need to knock out those 10-12 pages.
19. Do community service
This one is actually really important. Whether or not you're procrastinating, community service is such a valuable experience for both you and the community, and should definitely be done more often! The easiest thing to do at any given time is to go on a walk (preferably by a creek) and pick up trash. If you want to do something else, you can procrastinate by researching local organizations that are interesting to you, and setting up a time when you can volunteer.
20. Exercise!
Make your moms proud by attending an exercise class, going on a run (or walk, not all of us like the devil's exercise) or in my case put on some music in your dorm room, do some crazy dance moves, and call it "zumba." Keep that freshman 15 away!
21. Write an article for Odyssey (or read this one!)
If you aren't already a creator for Odyssey, you should become one! If you already are, then you understand that you made a commitment for one article. And if it just so happens that the article is due tomorrow and the essay on Friday, then the more productive thing to do would be to write said article. Also regardless of whether or not you're a creator, by reading this, you are researching productive things to do, therefore being productive.
Hope that this article will make you a more productive person. I'd write more, but unfortunately, I have an essay to write.
