Way to procrastinate through exams...

So every university student I know can procrastinate. I say, if we could get degrees in it, we'd all graduate with top honors. To damn bad we can't... But every single kid I know has a method on how to procrastinate to the best of your ability and still be able to write that paper, study, or get that extra hour of sleep before an exam if it is at all possible. Here are just a few of my favorites:

1-Cooking: for some reason, you would think that during exam season lunch would consist of a quick sandwich, breakfast a piece of toast, and dinner is a pizza that you either order for delivery or put in an oven for a few minutes and do work while it cooks. From experience, I think college kids all become the next Chef at the next 5 star restaurant during exam week. We all come up with elaborate meals, making sauces that go on top of various vegetables or meat, make soups from scratch, try something new that will require us reading a recipe in detail and go to the store at least twice, etc. Something as simple as a Tuna and Cheese Toastie becomes a work of art that probably looks better than most modern art does anyway. (Sorry to any modern art enthusiasts, I just don't get it) On Tuesday, I made a pizza for dinner. I was trying to make something quickly so I could get back to my studying in two shakes of a lamb's tail, as my grandmother would say. But nope, that is not what my procrastinating brain told me to do. It told me to sauté up some onions, roast a little garlic and grate up some fresh cheeses for toppings for my pizza. Cooking and preparing the toppings took even longer than after I put my pre-made cheese pizza in the oven to cook. Sad, or genius? To prove my point, I am known for my baking during stressful times in my life. I love to make cookies, cakes, breads, pies, anything I can get my hands on when I'm stressed out, I have the burn scars to prove it. If I have enough flour, butter, eggs, milk, and sugar, it's done. The funny thing is, I don't like sweet things that much. I have a salt tooth. Why do I spend my time slaving over a bowl, wooden spoon, and an oven in an apron when I know that I won't eat any more than a mouthful? Procrastination

2-Gym: Go to any university campus, the University of Virginia (UVA) most notably, and everyone is running! I mean everyone! You can't get down the street without seeing someone running. We love to keep in shape in college. Our metabolism is slowing down, yet we don't want to get out of shape in the possibility that we will meet the next hottie by us on the treadmill. I'm pretty sure we care more about our weight than we did in high school, and we can't seem to get rid of the extra pounds like we did those 2-3 years ago. That has an easy explanation, we drink more beer. But we shall save that argument for another day. When people were working out in the States, I knew it was for Spring break the majority of the time. In the UK, I don't have an answer, maybe they are just health conscious as a culture? If you have an opinion on that, let me know. Now what happens when you work out properly? You sweat, now to procrastination method number 3---

3-Showers: As a girl, I like to shower. As an American, I shower at least once a day if not more. I can't get over my own personal hygiene. I have to be clean. Sometimes I can't even sleep if I feel gross. Now anyone will know, that nothing feels better than a good shower. The hot steam, the smell of your body gel or shampoo, how wonderful it feels to have water hitting that spot in your back that you now have a knot in your muscles from being hunched over a desk. Or even better, a not that hot, but not that cold shower after a work out to cool you down. You think to yourself, "After I shower, I'm going to put in a good few hours of work, I just feel so relaxed that I could conquer the world." When in actuality, you could simply just conquer bed because you are that relaxed. Some people take quick showers, like, me and some already take 20-30 minute showers. Well extend your normal shower time by about 10 minutes, and thats how long a shower will be during exams. It just feels too good, and there is no way you can work study material into that time of your day. But then we have a problem, you get out and your wet... oh no! Need to do something with the hair, put on some clothes, because you can't study in a towel, and now where are those favorite pair of socks??? Procrastination

4-Cleaning: Well crap, can't find your favorite socks? How the hell can you study without those? Maybe they are dirty and in the laundry, well you better do it, just in case. Maybe those fuzzy warm socks are in your sock drawer, better organize that, along with the closet too! Everything has to be just neat enough. Well, you've already come this far, might as well wash the sheets, towels, vacuum if you can. Let's go ahead and take out the trash, that would make sense. The rest of your room is clean, might as well. Lets get the bathroom too. Who knows, the socks may be behind the toilet. Well better organize the desk, that just makes sense. You should probably have your notes in a very shapely fashion, in order, and maybe even color coded before you begin your studies. Nothing wrong with that. You look around at your bathroom that smells like bleach, clean floor, nice warm fresh from the dryer sheets, empty laundry basket, and completely organized room, and maybe you finally feel like everything is in it's place and now you are able to study. But where are your damn socks?

So in conclusion... college kids have exams. They are hard, they are long, they require a lot of studying that sometimes we just can't fit it all in. But we do try most of the time. Before we hit that breaking point where we can't read anymore, do equations, research, open a notebook or even try to get to the private silent study rooms at the library, we procrastinate. But on the bright side of not being smart and planning ahead, we end up being well fed, in shape, clean, and even have our rooms tidier than our mothers even thought was possible. Well maybe I shouldn't speak for all mothers, my momma wouldn't believe it. The question I leave for you to answer is this: I have an exam in the morning, I did study for it, took a practice test and did very well. Was writing this piece of literature my method of procrastination? We all have our methods of procrastination, it may not be the best idea in the world, but hey-

isn't that the life of a University student?

Bored and Observing from Heathrow Airport

I know this is late, but this is what happens when you have 5 days of hanging around waiting for your flight, followed by 2 weeks of non-stop movement to see everyone you know and love, to coming back to school just to study for 4-6 hours a day while attempting to get over jet lag, buy groceries, and do some laundry (if I can get any coinage)... Well here it is:

1- it takes a lot to get a plane ready. You have to burn some fuel from the engines, supposedly to clear it out so they can refuel it... or put oil in, or whatever they need to do so I can get home

2-The lovely calm voice that announces important messages in the airport terminals always announce in English, then French, then German, and maybe if you're lucky: some Spanish or Italian depending on where the flights are going at that time. And that bell to let you know that they are announcing, is super annoying. It's like the toll of a bell that wants to start but NOOO! There is an extremely important announcement to make about not leaving you bag unattended or they will be destroyed. 

3-HSBC must own part of this airport. All of the walkways from the terminal to the airplanes have HSBC written so huge that I can read it from the opposite side of the terminal from where I am sitting. How much did they pay for that? maybe enough to remove snow from the runways and from around the airplanes? Apparently not!

4-English people love WHSmith like the US loves Starbucks. When you walk through the airport here, there are 2 in Terminal 5 (before security), and 7 so far between Gates A and B. While there are many other shops as well, and a spa I may add, if my plane gets delayed, or god forbid CANCELLED... guess where I'll be going?

5-There are no trash bins anywhere! How does this airport stay clean? I've only seen 1 in this terminal and that was in a coffee shop! It's kinda ridiculous. I just happened to look over right now to look at the super large flat screen Samsung TV that was provided by T-mobile (at least that is what is printed on the back of the TV0 and there happen to be a trash and recycling bin right next to it. Darn you BBC voices distracting me with your perfect diction and correct level of loudness voices and making me want to talk like you and therefore forcing me to watch the TV so I can see the face that goes with that amazing tone and diction... You made me disprove my point...

6-Really the flight crea and check in people don't know more than you do. They only know what their computer screens tell them when they click into the right screen with the correct striking of the keys on the keyboard. They claim they do, you put your trust in their hands, and yet they know nothing. Maybe that's why terrorists strike airports so often. Let's face it, it's complete chaos in an airport. People are running around, no one know's what's going on, and what's more people are tired and only worried about themselves. So the most observant of people, well they aren't on the ball, that's why they are now x-ray scanning or touching EVERY inch of your body  in the US now when you go through security. Let's face it, people are selfish. And they will always be so, anyway that they can.

7-Nothing excited waiting passengers more than the arrival of their flight crew. We loooooove it! you start getting impatient and getting closer to the check in desk, pacing if there is space, packing up your things like you're ready to go when you know that you aren't departing for another 45 minutes anyway. Being in an airport makes me want to work for an airline. Just which one? Ane how? I can't be a pilot because of health issues, even thought that is one of my life's ambitions to get my pilots license. I have to be a flight attendant then! I would be good at it I'm sure, just like I'd make a good bartender. Simply because, let's face it, I have the personality for the job. And I love people, I'd love to meet people, new ones every day if possible. I'll work on that another day, when I'm less tired, stressed out, or needing something to fill the void.

8- Heathrow makes it impossible to find toilets. It's like they want you to wander through the shops as much as you can to spend more money! I'm thinking that this may have something to do with airports being a money-sucking machine. And there is nothing you can do about it. Take the average price of anything anywhere, double it, multiply by 9, divide by 4, subtract 10% and amazing! You have the airport price! I wish that I had that kind of skill, because people will pay for it at the airport. I've been in the airport for 2 hours, and yesterday i had a 3-course meal with 2 glasses of wine, just for dinner, and I've still spent more money here than at the hotel! How is that possible? I smell like Chanel Coco Madmoiselle because it's amazing, and although I didn't buy it, I was really temped in the duty free store. Not a good idea... 49 pounds, I wish I had that to spare, but I don't... darn being a poor-starving-university-student-living-overseas!

9-Almost anyone who is travelling and brought a laptop has a Mac. This makes me feel like I fit in. They must think I'm an important business person, or well not because I'm wearing leggings and sneakers and my Univeristy hoodie... So they must think that I'm a spoiled university student. Which I'm pretty close, just not quite. I work for most of what i have, just sometimes I call mommy and daddy and get them to send me money. But only when I'm desperate and say... stranded at an airport for 5 days and don't have enough money for food, hotel rooms, and needing to pay down  my credit card so I can keep charging the room. Thanks parents, Grandmother, and anyone else who helped me out... Man I keep getting wiffs of this Chanel... I'm going to ask for this, or possibly buy it if I can get it any cheaper.

Most importantly, it's time to finally board the plane that i've been waiting 5 days for. I will be  home soon, and it's only been 5 days and 4 hours since I started my traveling adventure. I will talk about this for years I am sure. And now my departure anxiety issues will only get worse I'm sure.... Now I will have to be at the airport 4 hours early at least!