“It won’t get that bad, they would never shut down campus,” said everyone at the beginning of March. Six months later and COVID-19 is still preventing many students from moving back to campus. Living at home as a college student isn’t ideal, but for most people it is the safest and most affordable option at the moment. Here are some necessary tips to help you survive yet another quarter at home:
- Communicate and set boundaries with your parents.
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College-aged individuals need to have their own independence and that can be hard to receive if you’re still living at home with your parents. However, there is a way that you can still get a good balance of having independence and still being around your family and that is through setting boundaries. Let them know your schedule and also make it clear to them that you have a lot of responsibilities so you may not always be available 24/7. If you need more privacy or space, talk it out with them and hopefully they will respect that.
- Remain active in your clubs and activities even if they’re on Zoom.
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Staying involved in everything that you were doing at school even if it’s online is important as it keeps you connected to others and keeps you active in the clubs or activities that you enjoy. Zoom may not be fun, but you can still communicate with others and participate in other things besides classes. It gives you a chance to clear your head and focus on doing the things you love.
- Prioritize your mental health and self-care.
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Living on campus there was always the opportunity to take a break and go socialize with friends. However, at home it can be more isolating as you still have the same amount of work except you’re not around others that much and there isn’t much else to do besides school. That’s why it’s so important to still have a self-care routine no matter if that involves taking a bath, doing a face mask or just reading a book. Don’t get me wrong, school is importnat, but your mental health should always come first.
- Don’t fall out of touch with your friends!
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Thanks to technology, it is now easier than ever to maintain relationships with people even if they are miles away. Your friends are probably as desperate as you to have any sort of social interaction so why not reach out and ask how they’re doing because they’d probably love to hear from you! Also if you have friends close by there are still ways that you could see a few people and be safe at the same time. Times may be rough, but that’s why you need to keep your friendships and support each other even if you can’t physically be together.
- Acknowledge that you are protecting yourself and others by staying home and that this won’t last forever.
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A lot of schools that did move students back on campus are having major COVID-19 outbreaks and already having to send students home. So be proud of yourself for staying home and being safe because the pandemic is still very real and you should take it seriously. Also realize that this won’t last forever. Eventually the cases will die down and hopefully students will be allowed back on campus when it’s safe. Of course, college students would prefer not to be home for another quarter, but these aren’t normal times, and protecting yourself and others is more important than being away at college.
Living at home can be difficult, but if you keep a positive and optimistic attitude, it will be more enjoyable. Just remember to communicate with your family and friends and stay active in all your extracurriculars! We will get through this together.