It’s been over like ten times that I hear friends telling me that quarantine is boring. That they don’t know what to do, that staying home sucks, that they miss going out, and stuff like that. I also miss going out with friends, partying during the weekends, and even going out to the supermarket to buy stuff. However, it is what it is. There is nothing we can do, unless you are planning on going over the government’s authority and go out when you are not supposed to. Leaving us with no choice about the situation, we all better get something good out of the situation.
Have you noticed the new school schedule? What do you think of it? I believe that it is great and will work throughout quarter four. Let’s start by thanking that we only have two periods per day. And even though it is three hours each, you get the wake up two minutes before teachers tell you to connect to the Hangouts. This means that you no longer have to wake up at 6 or 7:30 am to get ready to go to school and you can connect to class while on your pjs and still in bed. Also, you do not remain active in the Hangout for the three hours, teachers connect at the beginning to see how you are doing, tell you the instructions for the work you must complete, leave you to it, and then connect again at the end to see if you were able to complete the work. Meanwhile, you can send them an email or ask for them to videochat with you if there is something you don’t understand. Long story short: you only see each teacher for a maximum of 15 minutes a day!
Staying at home is not so bad either. Rather than always stating to your friends that you are bored, ask them to give you some advice on what to do. After “school hours” are over there are many activities that you can perform, and if you have already done them, why not repeat? You can always play cards and bet for something with a family member, that way it will be more interesting. You can take advantage of the time spare that you have and start a workout routine. It is a great time to start being fit since you are not going out to eat junk food nor drink during weekends. There is nothing like starting a new Netflix series during this time. Now you have time to finish full seasons in one day and not feel guilty about it. You can also start reading a new book. This will help your mind stay active and helps improve your reading pace. If you have a garden, you can practice the sport that you like. Whether it is soccer, basketball, volley or something else, you can practice outside not to get behind with your team. You can also start a new puzzle. There is always something to do each day, from baking and doing Tik Toks to finding a new singer and listening to all his/her albums. Do not let this quarantine get to you!
Quarantine is also a good time to spend with your family, get to know them even better. This may sound as a boring thing for you, but for seniors and soon to be seniors this may be something to keep in mind. The majority of the seniors have a maximum of five months in Bolivia before they all go to university. Five more months to wake up and have your mom or dad telling you that breakfast is ready, to ask you about the time they will pick you up from school, and to give you morning kisses. All of that will be gone in less than a year. Keep this in mind and take full advantage of being surrounded by your family for a month, because in less that what you expect, it will be you surrounded by 101 books, preparing for tests, and pulling an all nighter with no one to wake you up or care but yourself. Appreciate the time you have with your family, because you will never get it back.
Finally, if you really miss your friends to the point where you can’t live without them, you can always video chat with them. You can even download House Party -the app- and hangout durings Friday and Saturday night. Also if you can’t stand another second of being locked down, if you are over 18, you can always volunteer to go out and do grocery shopping for the week the day that according to your ID you are allowed to. Quarantine is not so bad, it’s just about adjusting!
