The transition from high school to college can be intense to navigate, as students suddenly find themselves with several more hours of free time than they ever had before.

As Drake students are now well into their spring semester, however, it can be assumed everyone has learned to use their free time wisely for a perfect balance of work, study, and personal growth.

… Just kidding.

More likely, since getting to college, Drake students have discovered brand new ways to waste their time and have fun doing so.

What would these Bulldogs say are their favorite ways to waste time?

“Obviously, TikTok is my number one time-waster,” senior Kyle Tekautz said. “With the pandemic, my screen time has gone way up.”

However, Tekautz said his phone was only one of the many ways he preferred to waste time.

“I’m old, I’m jaded,” he said. “Sleeping is a big one, too.”

Tekautz said that, since turning 21, he and his other 21-year-old friends enjoy wasting time going to various happy hours.

As many Drake students are not 21, however, that sends other Bulldogs back to the drawing board.

First-year Christa Fabel said she likes to waste her time doing activities where she can “shut her brain off,” including scrolling on social media, listening to music and playing musical instruments.

Fabel also finds cleaning her dorm room to be a good way to “waste” time.

“It is still productive, yet a shift from the things that I should really be focused on,” Fabel said.

Junior Whittaker Freidman said he also likes to “waste” time by doing more productive activities.

“I just start on the next thing that is important but not urgent,” he said. “Whether that’s assignments or improvements to the fraternity house that need to be made, that’s what I’ll do.”

When Freidman wants to relax, though, he said he likes to watch movies and scroll on social media.

“The endless scrolling or swiping will take up a lot of time, and as much as I don’t want to admit it, it does indeed waste the time away,” Freidman said.

Sophomore Ashley Johnson listed reading as her favorite way to waste time, followed closely by listening to music.

When she is feeling ambitious, though, Johnson said she enjoys taking long, “pointless” walks around campus.

“I know those are all stereotypical, but I really like them all,” Johnson said.

One group of individuals at Drake whose procrastination preferences are certainly not stereotypical are those of Drake professors.

“My wife makes fun of me about this, but I really like to watch mixed martial arts,” Economics professor Heath Henderson said.

Henderson said that he not only watches all the UFC fights, but also all the “backstory videos” the fighters post throughout the week. 

When Henderson is not keeping up on MMA fighters, however, he said he “wastes” time by reading nonfiction. His favorite things to read include other economists’ posts on Twitter and textbooks about physics and quantum mechanics.

“It’s so weird, but I can’t help but be fascinated by it,” Henderson said.

History Professor Susan Garneau said her favorite ways to waste time were watching Netflix, spending time with her family and playing video games. 

Her favorite game to play is “Stardew Valley,” followed closely by the Zelda game “Breath of the Wild.”

“It’s a game where you have your little farm and you do your little daily activities, kind of like ‘Animal Crossing,’ ” Garneau said.

SJMC Professor Chris Snider also enjoys wasting time playing video games on his phone.

“I play this game ‘Collect Em All.’ I’m on Level 651,” he said.

Snider also said he enjoys wasting time on his fantasy football and watching “trashy” Bravo shows with his wife. 

“We just finished ‘Southern Charm’ and started ‘Below Deck,’” he said. “I assure you, neither of them are worth even your wasted time.”

Though Snider may be correct in saying trashy TV is not the way most people prefer to waste their time, this article has displayed that the Drake community has several creative ideas on how to properly waste free time. Perhaps this article could be of use next time a reader is looking to avoid their homework or other responsibilities…