What to do on a long shift?

 What to do on a long shift?

Whether you work 2 hour shifts, 5 hours, or sometimes even more, there's always going to be times where there's seemingly nothing to do. There are no conferences scheduled, no walk-ins, and no work from Jane. So what do you do? Here's some ideas of how to fill the quiet times on long shifts:

Do some homework

I don't know about you, but having a large block of mostly uninterrupted time is the perfect time for me to get my homework for the next day's classes done. In fact, I'm writing this exact post during a quiet shift! Having a block of time where you just have to sit in the writing center may be the motivation you need to finally get some work done without getting sidetracked. Interesting fact: 100% of the consultants I polled said they use these types of shifts to do some homework! It seems quiet times are really good times to get at least some of your to-do list done.

Check the whiteboard and tables for things needing done or delivered

Most days I come into the writing center, there's something new posted on the whiteboard by the hot water or on one of the tables. (Sadly, only about 1/3 of the consultants polled said they check for tasks needing to be done, much to Jane's ire.) These are usually small tasks like completing a form, delivering CWC's across campus, or even random things like writing thank you cards or organizing a folder filled with past CWC's. If you don't have anything to do, try going around the room and looking for little things that need done.

Pursue your hobby

Do you have a hobby that can be done from the writing center? Writing, gaming, reading, composing music, making mood boards, or something similar? Just like with doing homework, a quiet shift may be the perfect time to pursue this hobby. You can't put it off by saying you don't have time, because you have at least a few hours where you can't leave the writing center, and you have nothing better to do, right? So let loose a little, destress, and have some fun!

Do something fun

Even if you don't have a writing center friendly hobby, you can still do something fun! Read, color, listen to music, fold origami, or just play that game on your phone everyone says is dumb but is mindless and great at wasting time. If nothing else, just let yourself not think about school for a while. 

Check what the question of the week is

Something I always check every shift is the whiteboard and the question of the week. There's almost always some wacky, fun, or hotly debated question for you to answer. These questions can also give your other shift-mates something to do too! After you all answer the question, you can give reasons and passionately debate your stance on the probably-not-so-serious or maybe even stupid question.

Study with a friend

I sometimes use this time to study with a friend. The writing center is quiet and cozy most of the time, so it's great for study sessions with small groups of two or three. Meeting in the writing center is also a neutral place in the middle of campus, so you don't have to worry about meeting in a dorm or far away from any one building on campus.

Talk

Exactly what it sounds like. A whopping 80% of consultants in the poll said they use these quiet times to chat. Is that a good thing? A bad thing? Who knows! All I know from my semester at the writing center is that most consultants are basically just chatty gossip machines! Want to know about everything and anything happening on campus? Just stop by the writing center!

Honorable mentions!

- Scrolling through social media

- Writing fanfiction (I do this too!)

- Meandering through the library for an interesting looking book

- Making coffee or tea

Conclusion

Long shifts can be quiet and boring, but they don't have to be! If you find yourself on a quiet shift with nothing to do, this post just showcases that in the writing center, there's always at least something to do or some task that needs done. Consultants are also very creative people, and even if Jane doesn't have some task for us, we create our own, like homework, funny whiteboards, or even just sharing the latest gossip.