- Start a blog
- Start a tumblr
- Join 750words.com
- Bake cookies
- Make dinner
- Call your Mom
- Skype with friends
- Get Starbucks
- Go for a run
- Read the headlines
- Do a crossword
- Have a dance party
- Do yoga
- Put all your favourite blogs into a blog reader
- Catch up on your favourite blogs
- Clean & organize your workspace
- Clean your room
- Record a video or podcast
- Write an article or short story
- Sketch a picture of yourself studying
- Get a massage
- Paint your nails
- Make origami swans
- Meditate
- Write someone a letter
- Brainstorm your next year’s New Years Resolutions
- Journal
- Work on your Life List
- Create an issuu magazine
- Start a scrapbook
- Look through old pictures
- Watch one episode of a funny tv show
- Sing along to musical theatre show tunes
- Play an instrument
- Make a list of things you’d do in your city if you had time
- Deactivate your Facebook account
- Start a Pinterest account
- Pay your bills
- Watch a TED talk
- Watch movie trailers
- Look at the Spring RTW shows
- Troll FoodGawker
- Build a snow man
- Decorate your place for Festivus
- Write a to-do list
- Play brain games on Lumosity
- Start a massage train with your friends
- Listen to really old pop music
- StumbleUpon
- Get lunch/brunch/dinner with friends
- Do the dishes
- Walk around the block
- Read a chapter of a book
- Make paper snowflakes
- Moisturize
- Take a bubble bath
- Take a nap
- Make a cup of tea or hot chocolate with little marshmallows
- Clean out your bag and wallet
- Give a loan on Kiva
- Play FreeRice
- Apply for something: volunteer position, internship, job
- Play hangman or tic-tac-toe with someone
- Watch videos of puppies or kitties playing
- Read Jezebel
- Read TextsFromBennett
- Give yourself a pep talk
- Switch up your study spot
- Do jumping jacks
- Do your laundry
- Start using Evernote
- Make a list of things you want to do around Christmastime
- Write a song
- Go out for a drink
- Eat a few seasonal clementines
- Learn about common misconceptions
- Go to the gym
- Buy + eat a chocolate bar
- Clean out the fridge
- Have a shower
- Have a snack
- Read a magazine
- Listen to lots of holiday-themed music
- Plan your dream vacation
- Plan a holiday party
- Do some online shopping
- Create a countdown until your exams are over
- Do a workout video in your living room
- Go grocery shopping
- Start a Facebook/BBM/text conversation with your best friends to share news and pictures
- Discover some new music
- Browse the local book store
- Learn a new skill online
- Play agoogleaday
- Dress up and get outside
- Catch up with a friend over coffee
- Pray
- Get take-out
- Daydream about having free time again
- Create a plan for studying
- SMILE
Tag - studying

It’s that time of year again folks: the blasted exam crunch time. Previously, I’ve written about how to stay physically healthy and how to find the study system that works for you. This year’s edition is more focused on mental health and stress-reduction strategies. Intrigued? Read on!
I find that this time of year requires a lot of discipline, focus, and motivation. Those things aren’t always easy to find, especially not when you also feel frazzled, stressed, and probably lonely. But finding time for fun activities can be so insanely hard, especially when you always have this looming dark cloud hanging over you, telling you “YOU SHOULD BE STUDYING RIGHT NOW”. How oppressive! I’m sure a lot of you are nodding in agreement – there’s always this sense of obligation or duty to be studying, and even taking an hour to catch up with someone at Starbucks feels very wrong.
The more we’re isolated, the more awful we feel; but the more we take time off from studying, the guiltier we feel. Stress central! Here are some of the strategies I’ve been exploring to stay sane this exam season.
This article was originally published exactly one year ago today: April 16, 2010. I know it’s no excuse, but it’s exam time all over again, so I haven’t had much time to escape the study grind and write new content. For now, I hope that this old content can serve to inspire you in this stressful time!

It’s that time of year, folks! Crunch time. Exams are fast approaching (or maybe over, if you go to certain schools) and it’s time to buckle down, bite the bullet and get to work. Although most of my readers have probably taken exams before, I’d like to share some lessons I’ve learned the hard way about exam time.
Academia is gearing up for its final blow: exam season. And as it approaches, so too comes with it heaps of assignments, essays of the 20 page variety, and entire textbooks to read. We have lots of work to do, which means, the time between now and summer will be very poorly spent. That’s because we university students, in general, are extremely proficient procrastinators. Visit any library these days and you’ll be greeted by a familiar sight: students wasting time. Based on observation alone, the typical “study day” for the average student follows the same general pattern:
Arrive ? Unpack bag ? Go on Facebook for half an hour ? Open textbook to the right page ? Read 2 pages/do 1 problem ? Check Blackberry ? Read 2 pages ? Go to the bathroom ? Check email ? Check Facebook ? etc, etc.
It’s astounding how long we say we spend “studying” when, if we’re honest with ourselves, the majority of that time is spent just plain fooling around. Of course, I can’t speak for the entire population of students – surely, some are exceptionally productive – but my impression (from countless hours logged a la bibliotheque) is that procrastination is rampant on university campuses. Rampant, I say!
Why is this so? In my experience, it’s because I tend to dread my work. It’s so much more fun and rewarding to participate in instant gratification tasks: checking social media portals, for one, is a favourite. Thinking about a daunting, time-consuming project that threatens to take over your life for the next few days is depressing. So we end up putting it off until we can’t possibly do so any longer. Until it’s due tomorrow. And then, just like that, our sleep has been sacrificed to make up for our time management errors.