I refer to myself as an expert because since starting college I have had to quarantine four times, three times through the school and once at a friend’s house. As I come from out of state, I had to quarantine both times I moved up to school because of New York State Guidelines. The first time was two weeks and then, luckily, the second time was only four days. However, having been quarantined for so much time these past semesters I have learned some helpful tips to make it through.
Bring a light
If you are quarantined at an on-campus site, one of my most important tips would be to bring a lamp, string light, or LED light. This is because most college dorms have minimal lighting in their rooms and relying on the little disk of light in the corner can make the room feel empty and depressing. However, a lamp helps to brighten up the room and make it feel a little like home.
Bring a comfort item
One thing I find helpful when quarantining is bringing some kind of comfort item like a stuffed animal, heating pad, or picture. Perhaps even a plant or statue might make you feel more at home in your temporary space. For example, for me, I brought my statue of Buddha that my mom gave me. It was just something random that I grabbed, however, having it in my room during quarantine helped me to feel more comfortable.
Make sure you have medicine
While you may go into quarantine thinking that you are not going to get or become sick, you never know how you may feel after being moved to a new space. You may also go into quarantine because you found out you were positive. It is hard to get people to drop medicine off to you once you are already in quarantine, so it is helpful to bring any kind of medication you may think you need. This can include Dayquil and Nyquil, Ibuprofen, or Allergy medicine.
Get into a routine
One thing that helped me while I was quarantined was getting myself into some kind of routine. I found it was easy for me to lay in bed all day and to stay up all night and then wake up too late. However, if you encourage yourself to get up at a normal time each day and get dressed and ready for the day it helps you to feel a little less like you are in quarantine.
Call your friends and family
I know this may seem like an obvious one, but sometimes it can be easy to forget. Talking to your friends can be a great way to stay in touch without having to be together. Especially if your friends are also in quarantine, it’s a great way to pass the time. It can also be a great way to catch up with family members that you may have been too busy to call before you got sent to quarantine.
Quarantine is definitely challenging so I hope these tips will make your experience a little bit easier!