Wasting Time?

I am a full time college student at WVU. I, unwittingly, registered for 20 credit hours this semester and I am taking a plunge for it. It started out fine; balancing school, homework, friends, sleep, eating, and miscellaneous other things. I thought to myself, This will be easy; after all, I am one of the lucky ones with no real job. Then it hit me: my classes were swelling above what I considered a normal amount of the dreaded studying and I lost focus. I got very sick and drew a blank on about every topic I thought I knew. I took a chemistry quiz and did not remember a single thing I had studied the night before.   This was driving me insane. I realized that I had to evaluate the time wasters.

My first major time waster was the Internet. Yes, this blessed and wonderful new technology that allows anyone to research any topic and spend many mindless hours doing practically nothing, was, in fact, a major time waster. Online quizzes were the worst. I found out which shoe I was, my aura's color, what candy, Simpsons character, label, random useless object, sock puppet and even which one of somebody I do not even know's friends I was. This turned into an addiction. I am being treated right now, I suppose. I have decided to sparingly use the Internet...if that is at all possible. If not, I suppose I can always find a support group.

Next was eating. I would eat and read or watch a movie, because I am one of those people who cannot eat without having something to entertain my mind as well. I would start out with something as simple as Cocoa Puffs and a novel, finish the Puffs during the first two pages, and end up reading most of the book anyway. This would cause total neglect of my homework and studying. I would go nuts realizing how much was due. Now, my new idea is to study while I eat. This eliminates the distractions.

Next came friends. How do you nicely tell your friends you have to study instead of listen to their newest breakup story? I am beginning to think it is impossible. Not to say anyone should become a stiff and quit hanging with friends altogether. That would be crazy. I just think there is a time, a place and a choice of events for fun and frolic.

Now, if anyone is reading this with the idea in mind of new insight and a way to quit wasting time, I have one (rather long, hyphenated) word: multi-tasking. Do everything in bulk. If your friend needs someone to complain to on the phone and you do not want to listen but are too nice to hang up on her, why not do your math homework at the same time? If you are hanging out with your cousin or are babysitting and the little darling whines of boredom, simply read them that pesky story you were supposed to read for English. Got an art project due? These children are good as doubles for artists. Minus the talent.

In all seriousness, find ways to eliminate the stress. If your lab partner's stupidity is killing you, that is simple. Slowly annoy him more with your supposed stupidity, making him feel you are far too stupid to ask anything of. You will never hear his complaining again. He will either annoy another or give up and maybe try to find the answers himself. What a miracle!

 Now my final suggestion is; if you are reading this instead of doing that project you have yet put off again I advise you to go do that. This article (and everything else you may be wasting time with) can wait a few more minutes, hours, days, years; so get what you got to get done first. Then come back and play. Trust me the world will go by just fine without you.