The Buffalo Bucket List is a series of articles highlighting my journey to achieve the full college experience in Buffalo, from Buffalo wings to Oozefest.
College is a time of meeting new people, exploring new ideas and growing as a person. But sometimes you just want to do absolutely nothing. Despite popular belief, there are actually different ways of going about doing nothing and certain milestones you can hit in your quest to shirk all responsibilities for a while.
No. 12: Binge-watch a season of a show on Netflix
Binge-watching is exactly what it sounds like: watching a lot of something at once. To quantify just how much you’re watching, aim for an entire season of a show in one sitting.
It’s harder than it sounds. You must be fully invested in the show to last roughly four to 12 hours or more and you better not plan on doing anything else that day. Watching that much Netflix can be alarmingly draining.
If you’re already an avid binge-watcher, then you aren’t alone. According to a 2014 study conducted by the PricewaterhouseCoopers Consumer Intelligence Series, at least half of adults in the United States identify as binge-watchers. Sixty-one percent agreed there is simply too much content to watch and not enough time.
See? There’s no shame in binge-watching. The only real problem is choosing what show to watch. There’s the ultimate Netflix original series “House of Cards” but by now, you really should have seen that. There’s also the cult-classic comedy series “Arrested Development,” which actually had its last season produced by Netflix around a decade after the series ended.
For a different kind of drama series, I’d highly recommend digging in to “Peaky Blinders,” a British historical drama taking place in post-World War I Birmingham, England following a gang known as the Peaky Blinders.
No. 13: Skip class and sleep in
You wake up feeling groggy and tired. You stumble over to your desk and find the syllabus for your morning class. There’s no quiz or test today. The class doesn’t take attendance. You crawl back into bed.
While skipping class can be a harmful practice – one that many of you may know far too well – it can be a therapeutic one. The daily grind of going to class can become a bit too much from time to time. If you want to just stay in bed and relax for a bit instead of dragging your limp body to class, go for it. Stay in your pajamas, pour yourself a bowl of cereal and enjoy doing absolutely nothing. You’ve earned it. Probably.
No. 14: Sleep on campus
Walk through Capen Hall on any given weekday and you’re sure to find at least one person sleeping on the couches. Go up to the Flag Room in the Student Union and you can find someone dozing off in between classes.
It’s no secret that many students don’t get enough sleep. In fact, a study by Brown University in 2001 found that only 11 percent of college students have good sleep quality. There’s no shame in taking a nap in Capen, the Student Union or wherever you can find a place to sleep. You work hard – at times – and you deserve this quick respite for sleeping.
No. 15: Party on a Thursday
Embrace “Thirsty Thursday.”
It’s almost the weekend but you really just can’t wait. Sure, you have a test tomorrow but the professor drops the lowest test grade so who cares?
With the significant exception of your physical health and GPA, partying on a Thursday is harmless fun. It’s almost been a long week – you deserve to celebrate a day early, then celebrate again on Friday, then celebrate again on Saturday and then not do anything on Sunday because you’re hungover and you deserve a day of rest.
So while you’re busy with tests and papers and all other responsibilities, remember to set some time aside to rest and relax. Catch up on sleep or your favorite show. Go out with friends. Just remember that your responsibilities will be waiting for you when you get back.
Daniel McKeon is a features editor and can be reached at dan.mckeon@ubspectrum.com
