By Alex Lento, ’10, LifeStyle Section Editor, and Jessup Smith, ’10, LifeStyle Editor

1. Clean your room. You won’t be able to focus if your room is a mess! Pick up all your clothes, make your bed, or do the laundry. You’ll feel so ready to work when you’re done.
2. Read a book that will sound smart in your next college interview or “cocktail party*”. Reading is educational and it’s important to have an intellectual book from outside of school in the back of your mind to reference.
3. Make dinner for your family. Never underestimate the power of family bonding time! Plus, the next time you want to ask your parents for something, you’ve got a little bit of leverage.
4. Run errands- Put gas in your car or pick up those few things you’ve been meaning to get. You’ve got to do it sometime!
5. Work out. Exercising will really clear your head and give you that extra energy boost you need to work.
6. Community Service. If you aren’t going to work on homework, you might as well help people. Doing service is a great way to spend your time, plus you’ll put a dent in your hour requirement. Bonus points if you get friends or family involved!
7. Work on things that aren’t due until January! Especially juniors and seniors. Work on those regular decision college applications, junior research papers, or SAT preparation.
8. Do chores around the house. Help out your family by doing the dishes, folding the laundry, or walking your dog. No parent can resist smiling when their child does chores without being asked. If you feel productive doing the dishes, you’ll be in the mood to be productive on your homework later.
9. Check your email, again! You never know if you’ve got an email waiting for you that requires an urgent response. You’ll feel more relaxed after you check.
10. Make a to-do list. Lastly, to-do lists are the absolute best way to feel productive while procrastinating. List your homework and anything else that you need to do in the next 24 hours. It helps you organize and you’ll be able to manage your time better when you actually sit down to work.

*by Cocktail party, we mean anything that involves small talk in which you may be asked to recall the last book you read or current events.