We are living through a very unusual, and in some ways unique, period in history. We try to pretend that everything is normal, but unfortunately it is not: classes suspended and postponed, not because of strikes or bad weather, but because of a brutal disease that is forcing half of the world’s inhabitants to stay indoors. It is the coronavirus, now infamously known all over the planet and the sole subject of news reports and newspapers. It is well known that the only weapon we have to defend ourselves is to stay at home, and to live through an enforced quarantine, the expiration of which we currently do not know, that puts a strain on both the physical and especially the mental.
In this time of health emergency, staying at home is essential, but student quarantine is hard to swallow.In this article we give you some tips to resist confinement, and indeed try to make it productive.
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Plan your day and follow a routine
For starters, try to pretend that everything is as usual. Have you been getting up early in the morning to study until lunchtime for years? Keep on doing it! Set the alarm clock as if nothing happened, and after a good breakfast start studying. Following a routine is essential to organize the study, even in the days of coronavirus.
Don’t stay in your pajamas
One trick that has always worked great for all those who work from home is to “prepare” for the day. When you get up, do not stay in your pajamas, but dress as if you are going out. Shave (for boys) or put on makeup (for girls), and get ready to face a day as a shut-in at home but with some charm!
Don’t procrastinate on the study
Whether your university’s teaching is at a standstill or not, don’t procrastinate studying! You risk finding yourself behind when it all starts again, and more importantly you risk losing your rhythm. Anticipating and foreseeing are the two key words that will enable you to handle this situation as well as possible.
Organize a study table
Just like when you are under examination, create a precise study schedule, tot things to do each day, and get out of your chair only when you have finished them all. You don’t have shopping to do, drinks with friends or college parties anyway!
Video calls are useful
Intersperse study with social time: just as in college, when after each lecture or after an hour of study the time for a break is triggered, even in the days of coronavirus and forced quarantine it is possible to relax for a few minutes. Take advantage of your very personal academic quarter-hour to video call your parents, relatives, friends, and why not your college classmates: you can chat about studying, and maybe resolve some doubts about a topic you can’t figure out on your own.
Yes to online meetings
And if video calling is not enough for you, why not set up an online meeting? There are many free platforms that allow you to create or take part in a real video conference, including Skype and Zoom. Take advantage of technology and be creative, we are in quarantine, but we still remain in the 21st century! In addition, talking and seeing the familiar faces of college friends enables a cooperative mechanism for discussing online classes, studying new topics together, and exchanging constructive ideas.
Carve out a moment for physical activity
“Mens sana in corpore sano,” and during quarantine this saying is true more than ever. Gyms and swimming pools are closed, but running outdoors is not prohibited if you are alone and stay close to home (the Viminale stated this in a March 31 memo). Take advantage of whatever comes your way around the house for physical activity: water bottles become dumbbells for your biceps, lifting heavy packages is a great exercise for your back and shoulders. Are you unimaginative or can’t find the right weights? The internet is full of video tutorials for doing free body exercises!
Relax the mind
After a day spent at home studying, video chatting with friends, and a defaticating run with an attached shower, there is nothing worse than turning on the TV and being bombarded with pessimistic news about the coronavirus. Don’t chase the news at all costs, and of course (but a college student should know this). Create a filtering mechanism for yourself so that you can tell right away what the fake news is and what reliable sources to source information from: take as your reference the news promulgated by WHO, the National Institute of Health, and the Civil Defense.
Learn something new
During lockdown quarantine, you may find yourself with many more free hours than normal. So instead of passively turning on the TV or picking up the smartphone for the umpteenth time, why don’t you learn to do something new? If you love cooking, try some new recipes. Do you like technology? Put into practice a video tutorial to do something new. You might also consider improving your English, or learning a language, or taking an online course in computer science, photography, and more. Don’t let this opportunity for free time pass you by, it is unlikely to happen again!
If needed, ask for psychological support
Finally, if you are realizing that quarantine is causing you problems, do not hesitate to seek psychological support initiatives. In this article, The Post lists a number of useful numbers to call, including that of the PSY Hello, the SpecialMente Association, the Agape Support Association, or the Orthophonology Institute; each provides free psychological counseling, often after booking in.
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