Sometimes, writing to friends on e-mail can turn into an over-utilized procrastination game. Laurie Tanaka '96, of Winthrop House, admits she checks her messages "a little too often to get my work done."

Perhaps, the idea of e-mail as a mental vacation explains the rabid mob that descends into the Science Center basement after every class. High-strung premeds pour out of Science Center B and down the stairs, mingling with the zombie-like Core crowd filling in from Memorial Hall. Once there, they jockey for seats, of which there never seem to be enough.

According to Jason Park '97, of Weld, "On certain peak hours, people can wait in line for ten minutes for a computer."

Those not lucky enough to instantly comandeer a terminal are left with a few options:

1. Leave. ("What? Without checking my messages?")

2. Lurk beside an occupied computer, sticking their faces intrusively into the e-mailer's personal space in hopes of scaring him or her into a hastier logout. This is the most popular tactic, especially during peak hours.

3. Start a computer-room brawl of the abovementioned "move it or lose it" variety.

If none of these options appeals, you can also take your chances on a computer where someone else has left a coat or a bag. However, a word to the wise: if you opt for this sneaky trick, wear protective clothing. You may get attacked from behind by a furious, foaming first-year who had been trying to print out her Expos revision when all of a sudden you hijacked her computer, to do E-MAIL, no less! She may then whack you with her bag (not that this ever happened to me, especially not last week after justice).

Many students actually admitted, under conditions of anonymity, that they send messages to other Harvard students, and sometimes even to people who live in the same house. Usually, these far-gone types check their mail way too often, acquire a haggard, frenzied air, and find themselves drifting through the Science Center at the most ungodly hours. Sound like fun? If you're a procrastinator who's outgrown "Cosmopolitan" or "Blades of Steel," go over and open an account. Within a few short weeks, this could be you.