It’s no secret that college students use the internet all the time. There are fun facts to Google (who hasn’t Googled themselves?), e-mails to obsessively check and recheck, and long-lost friends to rediscover — and stalk — on AIM. But in the late night hours, when you’ve exhausted these usual go-to websites, and you’re just not ready to return to your seminar paper on the anthropological history of Macedonian burial rituals, why not go exploring in cyberspace?

Step outside of your safety zone. The World Wide Web is your oyster. April Fool’s Day provides a perfect opportunity to visit these hilarious internet pit-stops and take a break from all things serious and studious. Here’s a sampling to get the adventure rolling. Dig in.

romp.com

From the brilliant minds behind such epic films as “National Lampoon’s Vegas Vacation” and the more recent classic “National Lampoon’s Van Wilder” comes the ever-inappropriate website romp.com. The episodes follow a choose-your-own drunken, slutty adventure format – for instance: “to the bar” or “to the clubs” on the Spring Break Cancun episode. Very college, very funny. The cartoon characters resemble those of MTV’s “Daria” (minus the monotone leading lady), and despite the blatant sexism and female degradation, the episodes provide lots of laughs – and a groovy, hip-hop soundtrack.

Bottom line: who doesn’t love an animated, interactive internet experience?

collegehumor.com

Yale University Art Gallery? Nuh-uh. The Peabody? Puh-lease. MoMA who?

Look no further fellow Yalies, the hottest “museum” is on the internet. Go naked if you want. Or wear a costume. It’s up to you. Regardless of your apparel, you’re guaranteed a good time. A collection of humorous photos submitted by college students, collegehumor.com exposes the true reality of university life. From the very popular “Titties Wing” to the equally appealing “Hall of Shamings,” the site offers a museum designed specifically with you — yes, you — in mind.

After all, who hasn’t drawn on the head of a sleeping friend late one drunken Saturday night? Ever sorry you forgot to capture the Kodak moment? Not to worry. Somebody did. And now everyone’s laughing — in cyberspace, that is. College really does create a sense of community, does it not?

Andrea Katz ’07, an occasional visitor to collegehumor.com, summed up her tour of the wild on-line visuals — artwork, if you will — with a chuckle (college students are so mature).

“There are pictures of really stupid situations. My friends send me links sometimes – I think the last thing that I saw was a picture of a drunken orgy,” Katz said.

Take it or leave it.

urbandictionary.com

Has anyone ever told you to “sac up?” Have you ever been confused as to what this lingo means? Sac what? Not to worry. The World Wide Web has come to your rescue – slang can be rough, so it’s nice to have a guide.

For those of you left scratching your head after the hottie across the bar slaps you, screaming “lay off me, wack job,” urbandictionary.com is there.

Upon encountering the site, Peter Burns ’08 said he was amazed it took him so long to discover such a helpful internet tool.

“Urbandictionary.com is a great idea,” Burns said. “I should really show it to my dad. It could help us bridge the [father-son] communication divide.”

So take advantage of this extensive dictionary of slang words and phrases. And not just for your oh-so exciting social life. Why not take advantage of such an intellectually provocative resource while trying to spice up that next philosophy paper?

Think: “Thus, in conclusion, Kant totally knew how to get his ‘mac on.'”

homestarrunner.com

Just when your parents think you’ve matured — living on your own, doing your own laundry and perhaps balancing your own checking account — you mention your new favorite website: homestarrunner.com. Homestarrunner is populated by an array of animated characters; they sing, they dance and they teach valuable life lessons — all in the form of short cartoons.

For instance, in “Where is the Cheat?” blob-like cartoon figures cannot seem to find their friend “the cheat.” No, the name has no deeper meaning — he just cheats a lot. But, not to worry, they do not give up until they find him. Now that’s real friendship and perseverance.

And that’s not all. Homestarrunner.com also offers video games and an online store with merchandise for its many loyal fans.

But maybe your parents weren’t all wrong about your growing level of sophistication. As Ned Hirschfeld ’08 admitted, homestarrunner.com is more popular with a slightly younger crowd.

“My friends and I went to the site a lot in high school,” Hirschfeld said. “It’s pretty funny. They have very unique characters; their interactions are hilarious.”

Nothing wrong with a little innocent fun.

So the next time you find yourself rereading every away message on your buddy list for the 47th time, stop, move that mouse on up to your web browser, and spice up your routine with a new URL. Take a peek, see what you think, spread the word. Looks like those long Yale weeknights just got a little more exciting.