When classes are nigh, procrastination is key to preserving sanity. Here are some of the ways a decent Internet connection can help you put off studying:

1. (The Customer Is) Not Always Right
http://notalwaysright.com/

Even those who haven’t worked with customers before will enjoy reading these interactions with generally ignorant or idiotic people. Employees from as far away as Australia submit their experiences, and the funniest submissions receive as many as a couple thousand “thumbs up.”

Example:
Customer: “Hi, I want 20 Marlboros.”
Me: “Do you have any ID at all?”
(The customer lifts his right sleeve on his t-shirt to reveal a tattoo of a date.)
Me: “I’m sorry, I can’t accept that.”
Customer: “Why not? That’s my f***ing date of birth! You think I’d just get some random date done on my arm?”
Me: “We need photo ID, sir, like a driver’s license or a passport.”
(The customer points at his face.)
Me: “Umm…”

2. Awkward Family Photos: Spreading the Awkwardness
http://awkwardfamilyphotos.com/
Unintentionally hilarious pictures — mostly from bygone years — are accompanied by equally amusing captions. Awkward is in: don’t be afraid to send in your own photos!
Example: http://awkwardfamilyphotos.com/2009/08/21/spic-and-span/

3. The Awesomer: Awesome Stuff.
http://theawesomer.com/
Featuring links from short films to tech gear to the newest Nikes, this frequently updated site caters to many different interests. Although the content is geared toward “guys,” the excess of offerings should appeal to both sexes.

4. The Impulsive Buy: Putting the “ew” in product reviews
http://www.theimpulsivebuy.com/

Marvo (and sometimes one of his underlings) tests out or consumes new and odd products. What sets him apart from the innumerable other product-review blogs is his self-deprecating (and sometimes inappropriate) humor.

Example excerpt: Oh man, Trix fanboys must be creaming in their pants after seeing the Limited Edition Trix Swirls Cereal. It has TWO fruity colors in every puff. If that doesn’t make Trix fanboys scream like little girls at a Jonas Brothers concert, they’re not a true Trix fanboy.

5. Jay Is Games: Casual Gameplay
http://jayisgames.com/

This is a great place to find reviews and guides to all sorts of online Flash games as well as downloadable mobile and traditional computer games. Each post is accompanied by a review and usually a walkthrough as well.
Particularly addictive: Crush The Castle

6. OMGPOP
http://www.omgpop.com/

For those who want to compete with others, this arcade-like site offers an easy way to invite friends to play more traditional games, such as go-kart racing and text-unscrambling. The site recently came under fire from The Tetris Company for infringing on “their valuable intellectual property rights” and had to completely overhaul one of its games (http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS219379+10-Sep-2009+BW200...). If Tetris is threatened, then OMGPOP must be pretty significant.

7. Not Martha
http://www.notmartha.org/

Based in Seattle, this simplistically-designed blog posts links to topics from cooking to sewing to home decorating, providing creative fodder to anybody with similar hobbies. The site owner, Megan Reardon, also engages in these domestic pursuits herself and often publishes lovely photos to accompany recipes and sewing projects.

Example: green curry chicken http://www.notmartha.org/archives/2009/06/08/susies-green-curry-chicken/

8. Smashing Magazine
http://www.smashingmagazine.com/

The technologically creative (or challenged) can find a bevy of free materials having to do with design, from Photoshop tutorials to monthly wallpapers.

Their whole category on typography and free downloadable fonts is particularly enjoyable for those with even the slightest interest in web development.

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9. Indexed
http://thisisindexed.com/

For slight mental stimulation without the arduousness of reading, Indexed consists of petite charts and graphs dispensing insights and observations. Jessica Hagy has published a book of these in case you can’t get enough of her venn-diagrams.

Example: http://thisisindexed.com/2009/08/everything-looks-a-little-nicer-from-a-...

10. The Straight Dope: Fighting Ignorance Since 1973
http://www.straightdope.com/
More learning can be found at The Straight Dope, where Cecil Adams, the “world’s most intelligent human being,” answers readers’ questions with no apparent chance of inaccuracy. You could spend weeks doing nothing but learning all of the interesting trivia found on this site.

Example: Why aren’t porn actors charged with prostitution? http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2845/why-arent-porn-actors-char...

11. The Comics Curmudgeon
http://joshreads.com/
Fans of comic strips will either love or despise the way Josh Fruhlinger comments on popular cartoons, often pointing out their discrepancies or utter lack of logic. You’ll never read the Sunday paper the same way again.

12. Listverse: Ultimate Top 10 Lists
http://listverse.com/
IIf you enjoyed this list, there are many more to be found at Listverse.

Particularly timely example from Top 15 Facts You Probably Don’t Know: The germs in feces can pass through up to ten layers of toilet paper. Don’t forget to wash your hands! http://listverse.com/2009/09/04/top-15-facts-you-probably-dont-know/