10 Ways to Make the Best of Your Quarantine Life

When I found out all classes were moving away from all kinds of face-to-face interaction transitioning to online form, I was hit by a big wave of mixed emotions.

I realized I said “see you next week” to people I might never see again or not see in a long time! It felt like I was living in my own little world and someone pulled me out all of a sudden, kinda like this:

It’s like taking a step back and seeing everything all together from the above, everything that’s happened, everything I’ve learned, all the amazing people I’ve met.

I honestly thought I could handle this whole isolation thing because I like being alone anyways. When I write this a couple of days have gone by now, and frankly, it’s really upsetting that I can’t go to lectures or office hours anymore. I miss being around my classmates and professors!

If you’re going home, or if you’re gone already, that’s awesome, but if you’re 24 hours from home like me, you get to enjoy the calmness of the campus, which is actually really nice.

I’m going to share a few things I’ve been up to or I’m planning to do over the next weeks and maybe you can try some of them too:

1. Don’t forget this is still a school semester!

Before you spend all your time doing all the fun stuff, make sure you’re caught up with all the assignments you need to do, and you know what’s going on in your classes!

Check your email for updates from your professors and be prepared for any exams that are coming up. This is a great time to go back and review the material you didn’t quite understand as well.

2. Do that one thing you never get the time to do!

I don’t know about you, but for me, there is always this thing I keep telling myself I’d do when I have time and I never really get the time to do it! And that thing for me is reading.

I got two history books (I love history) from Subtext in December, and I’ve only read 30 pages of only one of them since! So, reading is definitely something I’m going to spend some time doing.

3. Exercise

No more excuses! There are a ton of fitness apps you can download and follow along with based on your fitness goals. My personal favourite app is Nike Training Club.

I started doing workouts again after a while on Tuesday, and it was amazing. It’s also nice to go for a run, go on hikes (not in groups though!) or bike rides.

4. Try something new/Pursue your hobbies

I’m actually doing something I’m completely new to right now; writing this blog! So maybe do something you enjoy as a hobby or try something you’ve never done before, you’re only a click away from learning literally anything!

5. Party!

Don’t get me wrong, my way of partying is completely quarantine-friendly!

It’s simple:

• Get some of the food/drinks you like
• Dress up (or not)
• Play the music you love and dance and sing!

It might not sound that fun, but I absolutely love doing it and I think you should try it!

6. Challenge yourself!

If you’d rather exercise your brain than your body, I’ve got you. Up for a challenge?  

Get ready for a puzzle that’s known to be the hardest logic puzzle ever! It’s called the “three gods riddle”.

I’ll let you look it up yourself or use the link that takes you to a video that explains the puzzle. If you figure out the answer or already know it, no spoilers! I’m still working on it!

7. Deep cleaning

I’m sure your closet would thank you if you got the dust off of it and organized your clothes a bit. But your closet is not the only thing you can organize; one thing I’m definitely going to do is organize my all-over-the-place photos!

8. Online content

Everyone has a different taste when it comes to online content, but I thought maybe I’d share some of my favorite YouTube channels and Netflix TV shows/movies in case you are looking for some recommendations:

Channels: CrashCourse, Kurtis Conner, Johnny Harris, TED-Ed, Vox, Vsauce

Netflix: Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Sherlock, Explained, Timeless, The Imitation Game, Moneyball, Mission: Impossible Fallout

9. Get crafty

Got some old shirts or jeans? Get some paint and get creative! Or you can do any kind of DIYs you enjoy.

10. Keep in touch

This might be a good time to not only chat with your friends and family, but also with people you haven’t talked to for a while, maybe an old friend, a teacher, or a family member.

And lastly, be understanding of the staff and your professors. This is all new for everyone, so be patient and appreciate the effort they put in to make the rest of this semester go as smoothly as possible.