13 Oct 2019

Ahhhh yes, exam period.  Locked to your desk, waist deep in hand-written notes, five coffee mugs scattered around your room (cheers mum for the regular delivery), trackies are your new uniform and heading to the library is what we now consider a ‘social outing’… yikes.

You may not be able to go out and have fun with your friends, because let’s be honest that’s way too distracting. But that doesn’t mean you can’t chill tf out, de-stress and have a bit of fun from the comfort of your lil study den – on your much-earned study break, of course. And what’s a better way to do this than to grab some snacks and binge a new show or an old fave.

And for those of you who think ‘I ain’t got time for that’ – please do yourself a solid and take a break every few hours – trust me, you deserve it and the last thing you wanna do before your final exams is burn yourself out.

If you’re anything like me, you are constantly bugging your friends in group chats asking, ‘what’s a good show?’ Luckily for you, we’re here to help ya out with this.

Looking For Alaska

Get keen people, because Looking For Alaska is coming to Stan on October 19th. For years we’ve been praying to the John Green gods for an on-screen adaptation of our fave YA novel, and now we’ve got ourselves a whole damn show! Better yet, every ep of the series is going to be dropping at once, so pop it in your diaries because a binge sesh is truly in order (it drops after the first week of exams for all you HSC-ers out there, so it’ll be a great way to celebrate never having to do English ever again).

The series is bang on in its honest and brutal depiction of what growing up is really like, and will hit you right in the feels as you reminisce on all the teen mems - the good times, the parties, the best friends, the surprisingly cool teachers, the crushes, the first loves, the tears… So, get comfy and grab some popcorn and tissues, because this one’s gonna have ya hooked. Since you can't watch it now, suss the trailer below for a taste of what's to come.

  

All American

If you need something to tide you over until then, you can binge the whole first season of this show straight up. It’s an absolute gem and perfect for all the sport fanatics out there, all about the life of a teen who moves from his dangerous hometown to Beverly Hills and into the competitive world of high school football.

If sports aren’t really your thing, don’t worry, this show is full of high school drama – think The O.C. meets Friday Night Lights – I promise you will 100 percent be able to relate to one of the characters in this show as they manoeuvre through their own personal struggles as well as triumphs. If that’s still not doing it for ya, you could still watch this show purely for the unreal soundtrack - we’re talking Khalid and Kendrick Lamar on repeat.

The Office

If you’re in the mood for something light-hearted and down for a bit of a laugh, bingeing this old banger is always a good time. It’s perfect if you just need to zone out and forget about all your exam worries, plus you can literally watch any episode and it’ll still make sense. Seriously, I dare ya to pick any random episode (they’re all available to stream so that’s a bonus) – I promise it’ll still be good.

The biggest win for this show, though, is the fact it actually makes you keen to work in an office. You know, like the possibility of finding love like Jim and Pam, bantering around and pranking some of your colleagues like Jim does to Dwight every god damn episode, or dealing with a terrible (yet hilariously tragic) boss like Michael. Who would have ever thought? if you’ve over-watched The Office (which is near impossible), Parks and Recreation or Community have similar vibes and are equally as hilarious. 

The O.C.

The theme song is ‘California’ by Phanton Planet – need I say more?

But in all seriousness, this show is another great one to get you in your high school teen feels. You will become obsessed and so attached to every single character and all the wild plot lines that you’ll forget all about exams and lose yourself in the sunny state, even just for a little while. Bonus: you get to cringe at their iconic 2007 fashion decisions through all four glorious seasons – we’re talking tank tops and low-rise flared jeans.

RuPaul’s Drag Race

If you’re wanting something a bit more upbeat and fun, then Mama Ru has got your back. RuPaul’s Drag Race is gonna get ya feeling inspired, creative, and ready to take on your own fierce looks and outfits. The absolute queens on this show will inspire you to accept and celebrate yourself and others and live your best lives – with plenty of wig reveals, iconic catchphrases and drama to keep you entertained. What’s not to love?

Plus, if you somehow manage to get through all 12 seasons (look, wouldn’t surprise me), you can jump straight into the brand spankin' new RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, or go behind the scenes and backstage with RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked.

These are just a handful of our faves, but Stan has a tonne of awesome binge-worthy shows that will get ya through your study slump. You can jump on a free 30 day trial to suss out what’s on offer.