The 10 best ways to procrastinate from that impending assignment

With lockdown in full swing and everything except libraries being closed, it seems like the perfect time to knuckle down on some uni work. Maybe start your January exam revision so you’re not thinking about them over Christmas dinner, or better yet, watch those week two lectures you promised you’d watch?

However, if you prefer to start your assignments the night before and submit it at 14:59 because “you work better under pressure”, then we have some top tips to ensure you don’t bother writing it any earlier.

Keep your phone in sight at all times

This one is key. Have it next to you so you can constantly check for those all-important tinder matches. Better yet, turn the sound up to full volume so you don’t miss a single notification. Download Among Us and play with your friends all day. Have you really watched enough TikTok videos? I didn’t think so. Remember, do not disturb is your worst enemy.

Work with friends

I don’t mean that one friend who hands stuff in on time and does seminar readings (are they actually important?). Get your whole house working together at your kitchen table, you’ll try ten minutes of quiet work before it all goes wrong, trust me.

Go for a walk

Wollaton Park is massive and you can kill at least two hours there, three if you try hard enough. Plus, it’d be rude to spend three years in Notts and not go see Batman’s house at least once (or every day in lockdown). A walk is good for the mind too, it might help you come up with some other ways to procrastinate, if not, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

Word documents or Wayne Manor?

Clean your kitchen

Student house kitchens are the worst, you can catch a disease from walking bare foot and the tea towels definitely need burning. It’d take a good chunk out of your day to clean the kitchen, and is it really procrastinating if you’re still productive? Also, it’s November, you really should have cleaned it by now.

Redecorate your room

Finally stick those travelling pictures up you were going to do two months ago; buy a plant from B&M (it’s still open), whilst you’re in there you might as well have a browse. New lights? Cushions? That lava lamp you think will give your room some cool mood lighting? Go all out, it’s not like you can go anywhere else besides your bedroom for the next month, it’s got to be a safe haven. Right?

It is normal to tidy your room twice daily

Stare out the window

This one works really well if you’ve got that downstairs front bedroom of the house that no-one really wants. However, Nottingham is full of a vast variety of people, you just need to check the Buy and Sell pages to know that one. So, stick your desk in front of the window, dim the brightness on your laptop so it’s not distracting, and people-watch to your hearts content.

(Side note: don’t do this so much you become one of those buy and sell people).

Spinning chair games

This one is a chance for you to get your housemates involved as they definitely want distracting as well. See who can spin the fastest without throwing up. Who can stand up the longest after being spun for thirty seconds. Desk chair jousting down your hallway. The options are endless and you can really get creative with this, it’s the perfect chance to spend hours making a tournament board and training for gold.

All you need is a spinny chair and an assignment to ignore

Baking

Baking is great because it means you can eat it afterwards. Plus, you’re not doing lockdown right if you haven’t made at least one banana bread. Your assignment is due in two days so it’s time to get your baking hat on and channel your inner Mary Berry. Bonus, as a student you most likely don’t have any ingredients so you need even more time for a trip to the shops and time to clean up afterwards! This really is a triple win.

Start a new series

Do you know how many series Netflix has that you haven’t watched? You should go spend some time researching which ones are the best to watch. If you want a really good break from your work then I’d suggest nothing with less than three seasons. Or see how many bad but addictive Christmas films you can get through in one week, they have an abundance of them. Done all that? Amazon Prime offers six months free for students, go find some more.

You should definitely watch Brooklyn 99 for the 8th time x

Take a nap

Procrastinating is tiring. All those activities to avoid your work really knocks it out of you and a nap really is a great way to rest and recuperate. Twenty minutes or four hours; if you’re not waking up on a different day then it still classes as a nap. Bear in mind you’re going to need a lot of energy to pull an all-nighter the day your assignment is due, so really, this one is actually helping you get your work done.

So, if you’re currently sat deciding whether to submit a half written essay at 14:59pm, or to take the 5% hit to try and improve it, then I would recommend getting off this article and doing some bloody work.