It's that time of year again. I'm not talking about Christmas. I'm talking about finals. All of your schoolwork is piling up and there is so much to do and so little time and yeah, you know that you should most definitely be studying, but your motivation is so slim that anything would be better than cracking open your textbook. Here are ten ways that you can avoid schoolwork without feeling guilty about it.

1. Vacuum

Depending on where you live, this should take at least fifteen minutes of your time. And to be honest, your floors probably need it. See? You're accomplishing something important. You can't live in filth.

2. Clean the bathroom

A clean bathroom is a happy bathroom, and it is very important to have a happy bathroom.

3. Do your laundry

Laundry can take two hours or much longer, depending on how much of it there is to do. If you really want to procrastinate, you could even wash your sheets and your comforter. Just think about how wonderful it'll be to climb into bed at night. And you need clean clothes too, right?

4. Write your mother a letter

A nice, thoughtful, handwritten letter is a great idea. It's important to keep in touch with family, and just think of how much she will appreciate hearing from you. Once you've written to your mother (at least two pages worth of in-depth information about how you made really great spaghetti the other night or how your chemistry lab partner has the most unique personal style), go on and write similar letters to your grandma and your old neighbor.

5. Catch up on current events

Go watch/read the news. When's the last time you sat down and learned about what's up with our country and the rest of the world? You've got to stay informed. It's a civic duty, really.

6. Bake some cookies

And then give some to your neighbors. If they were just for you, then that would be procrastinating, but since they are made to be shared, you are actually spending time fostering relationships, which is absolutely important. Bonus points if they are holiday-themed. Spread the Christmas cheer.

7. Volunteer

Do you know how good it feels (and looks on a resumé, let's just be honest) to volunteer your time to help others? Spending your time at a local food shelf or pet shelter is wayyy more rewarding than doing those calculus review problems.

8. Reorganize your closet

This will take a while. And you'll probably find those earbuds and that one sock that you lost a month or so back. Win, win.

9. Call a friend you haven't spoken to in a while

You've probably been meaning to keep in touch, but have "just been so busy." Now is a perfect time to find out what your old pal from high school has been up to.

10. Make a list of all the things you need to do and the order in which you plan to do them

...to be started later.