10. Watching paint dry Always used with tones of scorn, mockery or distain, this happy rainy day activity could, given time, become a very interesting experiment. We all know that the paint in the little pots doesn’t look anything like it does once it’s dried, so you can take it upon yourself to re-write all the little sample cards you collected at Bunnings. 9.Watching grass grow Though the practicality of this (with the rain outside) might not be very good. You could, however, make a party of it, set up tents, canopies, have a barbeque area, sleeping bags, the whole shebang! Hell, even invite some friends over. Make it a real occasion. Invite the neighbours. Do it. 8. Clean your room I know. I know. I tried not to say it, but there is no denying the usefulness of this. Those old papers you have lying around from first year or even school? Time to chuck them out, buddy. Your moment has come. Take this time to wipe, vacuum and sort that puppy out so it sparkles. Not only will you have a moment of organisation in your little spot of heaven (as well as floor/cupboard/bookshelf space), but you can use this opportunity to scare the hell out of your mum when she comes to visit. Keep cameras handy for the moment of revelation. Don’t let on anything has changed. 7. Work on your speaking skills by watching infomercials Communication students will probably be the only people who will benefit from this, but it can none-the-less become a time for you to practice your presentation, enthusiasm and … skills. Got that oral presentation coming up at the end of the semester? Take time to study these seasoned hands, copying their every move and smile. If you are really keen, you can either memorise a few rhetorical questions and study up on that use of tone in your voice. (Terms and Conditions: Though implied, an A for your presentation cannot be guaranteed. I take no responsibility… unless it is an A, then I will take all credit for the idea). 6. Read a book (that isn’t a textbook) Now getting down to some legit moments of fun (at least for some of you). Book reading is a dying art. You go to a group of people and only one out of four (two out of four if you’re lucky), reads. Fair enough, some people have such chronic doses of ADHD they can’t sit still. Some don’t necessarily have the patience or brain-power, but once you find a proper book, it’s pretty entertaining. Read a travel book (these are especially comforting if you are stuck inside because of rain, as you can pretend you are actually where they are and you are just having an internal monologue or reading a journal). 5. Exercise Take a moment to get those endorphins going. Do it. It will make you feel better (seriously, ask the science geeks). Pop a few lunges, go old-school and do a jumping jack or two. Do some Zumba if you feel sassy. Whoever you are, there is guaranteed to be an option or two to fit your interests. Always wanted to look like Arnie in the good ol’ days? Start working on that now! Want to flail your legs around like Riverdance? Get a video out or google it on Youtube and start tappin! 4. Play Playstation Get your inner gamer going by working on those thumb muscles of yours (because we all can do with some muscly thumbs). If you are super indie, you can go old-school and dig up your old PS1 or Gameboy from yonderyear and rip out those original Sonic the Hedgehog or Doom games. Re-visit your childhood. If this revisiting takes place, I recommend taking snacks. 3. Movie Marathons As I recently did this myself with a bunch of friends, this is a personal recommendation: Now with all the millions of trilogies, and whatnot, that are out, why not make a ball of it? Classics such as the Die Hard movies, Harry Potter (now that all the movies are finally out), LOTR, or (though this is against my better judgement) Twilight. Get popcorn, get banana-splits for some healthy fruit action, get some crackers and rip out that hummus if you pertain a bit of class. But just do it. Seriously. Especially if they run into the early hours of the morning, you have no idea what craziness might occur. Mystery can be expected. (The only bit of negativity from this little gem that I can see is it takes time… But that is okay, the mid-semester break can be used for this). 2. Cook (Or bake. Your choice) Become a whizz in the kitchen and shock the hell out of your flatmates/friends/family/anyone who is aware of your previous level of cooking ability. This might not work so well for those studying hospitality or those who have reasonable amounts of cooking ability, but you can always take it upon yourself to cook more elaborate cakes or something. Google the weirdest thing you can think of and try make that out of cake. Pics or it didn’t happen though. 1. Crafts Not only is this entertaining and has many sub-categories of which to choose from, but you can also make a solid buck or two out of it – if you are any good that is (this outcome is not guaranteed for all and I will not be liable for non-sales). You can try your hand at a spot of painting (in which case you can then watch it dry! Two birds with one stone!), make some cards for real or imaginary events, try some crochet or knitting, stitch yourself some new snazzy garments. The options are endless.
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