February. Midterms. Reading week is so close you can almost taste it (and get rid of the bitter taste from other schools having their’s last week). Our Marketing and Operations team is here to reveal how they are putting the “pro” in procrastination this month.
Ali Schwenk, Managing Editor- Operations
I grew up making chocolate chip cookies from the recipe off the back of the Chipits™ bag. Little did I know that my occasional hobby would turn into an elaborate method of procrastination. Here I am in 4th year, spending study breaks at the lib researching recipes and making grocery lists so I can test them out. I’ve recently banned myself from studying at home after one too many days spent decorating cupcakes instead of doing my work. Having a vegan roommate has never stopped me. My fridge is now always stocked with vegan butter and almond milk… because who else is going to eat the 2 dozen scones I just whipped up?!
Demi Assimacopoulos, Marketing Officer
No words will ever be as comforting as “don’t worry, I haven’t started either.” With the endless cycle of midterms, assignments, essays, and finals, it seems that McGill’s fast paced lifestyle may at times feel as though we are drowning in work, and as students, we take solace in knowing that we aren’t alone. Hence, we all have our procrastination techniques to combat those demotivating dips during the semester. My personal go-to? Binging Netflix true crime documentaries. I Am a Killer, The Confession Tapes, Making a Murderer, Evil Genius… the list goes on. Netflix never fails to provide an abundance of jaw-clenching, eerie series that makes the stress of schoolwork seem insignificant. My justification as to why the next episode can’t wait? Clearly, because these shows are sharpening my analytical skills and heightening my peripheral awareness, which in turn could be crucial to mastering my exams. While my rationales are exceptionally idealistic, I don’t think they will be stopping anytime soon. The fear and intrigue that engulfs me while watching these sinister shows always manages to vanquish the imminent fear of midterms/finals, and perhaps that is why it is my go-to procrastination method. Each episode, my detective alter-ego emerges with one goal in mind: trying to understand and uncover the lavish details Netflix hands to me on a silver platter.
Gabriel Martz, Marketing Officer
When I have reasonable amount of time to study for a midterm or paper, I like to squander it by stress cooking labour intensive meals. As far as dishes go, self sabotage is a personal favourite, but I’ll tackle anything that takes over an hour. Soups, stews, and long-simmering pasta sauces are top picks. Will this method help you prepare for whatever task you’re trying to escape? No. So although it won’t help polish your GPA, you can distract your parents with a feast when they come to visit.
Sydney Palter, Marketing Officer
It’s a Wednesday morning, it’s snowing, your class was cancelled. Naturally, you decide to work from home, because who wants to walk all the way to campus in this weather, and I can do just as much work from home – right? Wrong. While studying from home means as much tea as you want, working on the couch with a cozy blanket on your lap, and maybe even, dare I say it, candles??? For me, studying at home actually means I finally do that load of laundry I’ve been putting off, my sheets get changed, the dishes get washed, and the floor gets swept, vacuumed, and Swiffered. So while by the end of the day the house is *spotless*, really, all I’ve done all day is procrastinate and absolutely zero work has been done. Oops.
Vanessa Wong, Marketing Officer
Showering is a process in and of itself that some may find to be a total drag, but one that I ABSOLUTELY enjoy. Something about the touch of warm water on my skin first thing in the morning wakes me up better than an alarm clock. It feels almost like a massage, something I look forward to after a long, aching day of classes. However, it has become a hobby more than a habit now, and I’ve found myself taking showers for my study breaks… and maybe even more. “Showers help me compartmentalize my thoughts,” I continue to convince myself. But hey, that’s not all a lie because it truly does make me a more productive person in the end and that’s what matters to me!
