By Bergen Eppers and Sarah Rovinsky

The dreaded exam week is approaching closer and closer. The procrastination is almost inevitable. (I can already feel it). Everyone procrastinates, whether you’re willing to admit it or not. It is, if you will, an art, varying in degree and style. If you’re going to do it (be honest: you probably are), why not do it to your best ability and truly enjoy your time away from a textbook? If you need convincing, all of these things can, technically, be justified as emotional preparation for the mental chaos studying will invite. If done properly, this distraction will lower your stress levels and increase mental focus. We, however, are NOT endorsing pushing your studies in the far back corner of your mind while you enjoy yourself and indulge. PROCRASTINATE AT YOUR OWN RISK.

• Make food- Whether your goal is to study on a fully belly, or to completely avoid the action by preparing a 5 course meal by Gordon Ramsey, comfort food is necessary for exam week survival.
• Make yourself comfortable- How can you apply yourself in school if you’re not comfortable? You can’t. To get cozy before “studying,” wrap yourself up in a blanket and pretend you’re a burrito. Burritos do not do homework, and neither are you at the moment.
• Naps- Studying, and even procrastinating, are surprisingly exhausting activities. It is incredibly easy to fall asleep after becoming comfortable in a nest of blankets and worksheets on your bed. We highly recommend this sweet escape from stress. Afterwards, you may even feel so refreshed that you could dare to be productive…or not.
• Binge on Netflix- There’s probably a great series that cannot wait to be started. Once you start, why stop?
• Christmas shopping- ‘Tis the season to procrastinate and also buy anything impulsively for family, friends, and yourself.
• Social media- Social media is always reliable. It is your social crutch when you’re in public trying to not to look like a loner, it’s entertaining, you can analyze other people’s more-interesting lives, and spend countless hours on all that nothing.
• Cry- Avoid crying directly over penned notes. They tend to smear and become difficult to read.
• Talk- Vent about how stressed to are to your friend and get completely distracted. Take turns. This may lead to crying or prevent it.
• Physical exercise- Take a hike in hopes of getting lost so you never have to actually start study.  It’s a healthy alternative that can take your mind off of any worries and shift that energy towards strength or the outdoors. Instead of actually crying from your eyes, your whole body will if you work up enough of a sweat.

We hope that procrastinating pushes you to the point of being so stressed that you’re actually focused and efficient in your studies, because you’ve realized that if you don’t study, an exam will be like 10 rounds with Mike Tyson or worse, sudden death. We hope you find the motivation rather than never studying because of our “encouraged” procrastination recommendations. We, the writers, are not liable for any poor grades this article may be blamed on and wish you the best of luck during the possible doom of exam week.