SNOWPOCALYPSE 2010: How to survive a snow day

West Virginia University did something Friday I have never known it to do before.
It called a snow day. Kind of.

Classes after 1 p.m. were canceled due to the oncoming "snowpocalypse," as it was being called on Twitter.

Heavy snow mixed with icy rain was consistent throughout the day, causing concern for anyone who thought they might have to go to class or even get home from work.

The prospect of 3 inches to 7 inches of snow, then 7 inches to 14 inches, was certainly enough to turn the sanest of people into a quivering mass of weather-fearing jelly.

What would I do over the weekend as I remained imprisoned in my apartment?

Over the weekend, I managed to stay sane by keeping busy as the roads remained dangerous, and I remained hesitant to try and navigate them by foot.

I have compiled this list of things for any future prisoner of winter's cruel wrath and those preparing to be trapped by it.

Go to the grocery store

This is a given in any natural weather-related time.

Provided you have access to reliable and safe transportation and the roads are safe, go to the grocery store while the roads are relatively clean.

Of course, when there's a state of emergency and the roads are already covered, it's probably best to stay home.

If there's anything you can rely on in Morgantown, its that once it snows, you won't see the asphalt for a week.

Be patient with other citizens coming and going.

This is not the time to be inspired by "The Fast and the Furious." You will get your vegetables in time.

Once you have managed to find a space big enough for your car, not covered in a foot of snow or lovingly filled with an abandoned shopping cart by some other previous shopper, head out into the snow knowing what you need.

Not what you want.

Panicked buying is the worst thing to do. You can probably go ahead and cross kerosene off your list if you live in an apartment, along with that industrial-sized waste barrel.

You probably won't have to resort to sitting in the middle of the room, stoking a makeshift fireplace for warmth.

Be patient in line

While making the journey Friday, I had the pleasure of experiencing something similar to "Mario Kart." Shoppers were passing me, bumping into me.

Thankfully, I still had no coins to lose. Nobody likes angry shoppers, they just spread their rage and make things all the more unbearable.

Have some backlogged shows to catch up on.The best thing about no school is being able to watch shows you've not had time for.

For the last two weeks, work has prohibited me from checking in on the happenings of Dunder Mifflin and The Girlie Show with Tracy Jordan.

This is completely unacceptable. Thankfully, Hulu, coupled with a working Internet connection, kept me entertained.

Organize your room
College students have a routine.

The first thing is to throw the book bag on the floor close to wherever you're headed.

It will probably stay there until it is next used (the next day).

Then, changes of clothes end up in "organized" piles across the room, with some half-hearted attempt made – and then forgotten – differentiating between clean and dirty.

There's no excuse for the piles now, though. Laundry often takes up more valuable time on evenings and weekends that could be better used for cough, academic, cough pursuits.

Get it over with now. Remember, your mom told you to separate dark and white clothing. Do not forget.

Sort out the piles of papers from last semester stashed deep in your computer desk. You don't need notes from Patrick Conner's British literature class anymore. 

You're done with "Beowulf." Quit being such a hoarder. Assemble the papers and recycle.

There's plenty around campus for that.

Homework

Like it or not, it needs to be done.

Homework is a necessary evil designed by cruel professors to make our lives miserable.

They endured it throughout their college careers, so they must do the same to you.

It's the circle of life, Simba, and it rules us all.

Their vindictiveness aside, homework is required for grading purposes.

They say it helps evaluate our progress and understanding of the class work.

But really, it's just a thorn in the side for valuable television and socializing time.

Best to get it done now when there's extra time that you hadn't already attempted to budget for (and then forget about).