Top 10 Web Sites for Procrastinating Homework

Despite Loads of Homework, Procrastination Finds its Way into Every College Student’s Busy Schedule

By BEATA CHEREPAKHINA

Published: September 24, 2009

You have a philosophy paper, 20 pages of bio to read, and a Spanish test all due tomorrow. So what do you do as soon as you turn on your computer? Go on Facebook, of course. Even with excessive amounts of homework, college students can’t help but procrastinate, and with tons of sites online from shopping to social networking to television shows, the options are endless. So sit down, open a book and then visit our top 10 list of perfect companions for all-nighters, late assignments and cramming.

Facebook
www.facebook.com
Do we even need to elaborate? You’re ready to get to work but you can’t remember exactly which pages to read for bio. No big deal. You log on to Facebook (if it’s not your homepage already), click on the chat and ask a friend from your class. But now that you’re already there, it’s hard to resist looking through the pictures from Friday night’s party and posting a comment or two… or 25.  While commenting, you see that little red “1” pop up at the corner of the screen (You have a wall post from one of your friends!), so of course you must post back immediately. Then you decide to R.S.V.P. to a friend’s birthday next week, share a bumper sticker, take a quiz, play some Farmville and before you know it, you’ve spent the hour designated for reading on Facebook instead.

YouTube
www.youtube.com
The bio terms in your textbook are starting to blur together and you definitely need a break. Trying to find a TV show worth watching is going to be hard, but opening YouTube is super easy. After one episode of The Office, you can’t help but watch a couple of the day’s top videos. Hey, catching up on your pop culture is kind of like studying, right?

Twitter
www.twitter.com
Your bio’s read, but your paper is going nowhere, so you decide to tweet about your frustrations; blowing off steam will surely help clear your head. Since you’re already on Twitter it can’t hurt to check out what your favorite celebrities are up to. And with one click you find out that Justin Timberlake is presenting at the Emmys this year and that Coldplay is up for Best Act in the World at the Q Awards. Hmm, what are your other favorite stars up to? A couple more minutes can’t hurt…

Perez Hilton
www.perezhilton.com
You’re still craving the dirt on your favorite celebrities, so you head over to Perezhilton.com. Perez doesn’t just gossip, he creates nicknames, scribbles over pictures and makes sure that his readers know exactly how he feels about the gossip at hand. You can’t help but laugh at Perez’s captions bashing Kristen Stewart from “Twilight.” Finally, you’re caught up on the latest gossip and realize that it’s probably time to head back to your paper.

FML
www.fmylife.com
Halfway through the paper, you’re bored again and, with the crappy day you’re having, nothing could make you feel better, except maybe reading about how bad others’ days have been. So you head over to FML, start reading and realize that perhaps your day hasn’t been so bad after all. Especially compared to people like Damien who shared, “Today, I gave my keys to the valet before entering a high scale restaurant. Three hours later, I found out that they don’t have valet service. FML.”

Texts From Last Night
www.textsfromlastnight.com
While your paper is dragging on, you find yourself dozing off and you could really use a good laugh to jolt you back to work. What better time to check out the newest hilarious texts posted on Texts From Last Night. They don’t disappoint and you can’t help but laugh aloud, especially at a text from the 602 area code: “(602): Don’t really want to talk about it. You were right. She had a whole jar of toenail clippings on her nightstand that she chews on ‘when her fingernails are too short.’ Direct quote.”

College Candy
www.collegecandy.com
Your paper’s finally done but you’re not ready to start studying just yet, so for all the girls (or men who happen to be interested in getting some insight into the female psyche) it’s a great time to check out College Candy. Finding out that Tarte cosmetics are on sale and reading the graphic details about someone’s embarassing morning after story are totally things you must do immediately.

College Humor
www.collegehumor.com
We all know that studying isn’t the most fun activity on the planet, and while leaving your room to find some entertainment really isn’t an option, you can always find a good joke at College Humor. Within seconds, you’re staring at screenshots of the “4 Most Awkward Facebook Moments,” and they’re a lot funnier than Spanish conjugations.

Craigslist
www.craigslist.org
There’s still more to study (Does it ever end?) so you do the logical thing, head over to Craigslist. Okay, perhaps searching for yourself in “Missed Connections” isn’t the most productive thing, but you can always head over to the bilingual section and put those Spanish vocab words to use.

EBay
www.ebay.com
Do you have more to study? Yep. Will that stop you from taking another break? Nope. Especially since EBay’s calling your name, and it’s hard to resist buying that clutch you’ve been eyeing for cheap, or picking up some new posters for your dorm room.

You’re finally done with your assignments and it’s only 2 a.m. What does that mean? You obviously have time to visit Facebook one more time before you call it a night.