As you have been told over and over again, you will have a lot of free time in college. Let’s face it, Netflix is awesome and binging on shows and movies is as commonplace today as SU students who hate Duke. Sometimes, unlimited streaming and more free time mix too well, which results in days and nights of great potential wasted in front of a computer screen. Movies and TV shows are addicting. Here are some ways to not fall into the habit of spending your free time watching too much of them.

● Try to spend as much time outside of your dorm room as possible

This one comes from personal experience. The more time I spent in my dorm, the more time I spent on Netflix and YouTube. We all know when you isolate yourself, you turn to your phone or a computer to pass the time. When you’re outside of your dorm, it’s easier to distract yourself socially and with homework.

● Listen to the warnings

After three episodes, Netflix asks you if you are still watching. Instead of laughing it off, listen to it and find something else to do. It’s so easy to watch a whole season when there’s nothing stopping you, but it’s always worth spreading out your time to enjoy the show more.

● Give yourself a limit

It’s easy to spend endless hours watching TV, but if you set limits for yourself, it’ll be easier for you to find other things to replace your Netflix time. Pausing and leaving is the hardest part, but completely necessary to getting rid of a Netflix addiction.

Use these tips to keep yourself from movie addiction while at school — even if movies are the best thing ever and a great way to pass time. Look at it this way: there are other, much worse things you could be doing with your time. Go watch a movie!

Published on August 26, 2015 at 12:01 am