Tired of seeing Instagram-story Bingo boards? Want something to replace your school co-curriculars and clubs to get your mind off of Zoom lectures? Ran out of Netflix shows to binge-watch? Well then, get off of TikTok and let your phone and computer charge because here are five things you can do during your time in quarantine, social-distancing approved.
- Write letters to your friends.
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What’s better than laughing at funny TikToks your friends text you throughout the day? Receiving a letter in the mail from your college roommate who lives across the country! A great way to stay in touch with long-distance friends is writing letters to each other. While texting is the quickest and most efficient way to reach somebody, there’s something about having a tangible thing to hold onto for the rest of your life that has so much sentimental value. Whether it’s on the cutest and most intricately designed cards from Target or just on a regular piece of printer paper, letters are a great way to pass the time in quarantine when you’re not busy. Plus, it’s something to look forward to in the mail!
- Learn a new recipe.
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There’s one good thing about coming home from college: you get to stop having dining hall food for a few months! Why not step outside of your boundaries and learn a new recipe? Or two? Or three? However many new foods you cook, there’s no harm in becoming the Julia Child or Gordon Ramsay you’ve always dreamed of becoming. If you want it to be more extravagant and you want to get the whole family involved, have a cooking show dinner night and turn your kitchen into Chopped, complete with contestants and judges.
- Get back into non-academic reading.
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When was the last time you read for pleasure? The last time you didn’t have to write a response to a reading? Yeah, I don’t remember either. Use this free time in quarantine to build a TBR (to-be-read) pile! Don’t worry about highlighting anything important for class, and don’t worry about analyzing every single sentence you read—just let the words on the page take you on a picturesque adventure in your mind. If your state has issued a stay-at-home order and you have no way of getting books at your local library, no problem! Libby is an app you can get on your phone or tablet and you can borrow eBooks and audiobooks through your library card, and read them on your preferred device! Just make sure you don’t get distracted by social media when reading.
- Learn a workout/dance routine.
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If you used the commute to class as your form of exercise or you don’t have access to a gym, don’t fret! There are plenty of workout routines on Youtube that are suited so that you don’t have to go to the gym! There are even workout routines that don’t require you to have a treadmill, elliptical, or equipment of any sort. If you don’t like explicit exercise, try learning a dance routine (and no, I don’t mean TikTok dances). There are many dance routines on YouTube that you can learn step-by-step in the comfort of your own home. If you have a Wii, break out the Just Dance from elementary school and break out a sweat!
- Learn a new hobby/revisit an old one.
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If you didn’t have time to do your non-major hobbies at college, this is the time to revisit them, or even start a new one! Start making music again, whether that’d be arranging music, singing your favorite tunes, or fumbling around on the piano! If you haven’t journaled or free-written in a while, get back into that journal you abandoned at the beginning of the year. Paint that extra canvas, finish knitting that scarf, learn playing that guitar like you’ve always wanted—do whatever makes your heart happy, and let your creativity soar!