LAUREN PETTIT
While the first couple days back home might be fun, it is important to realize you are not at WSU anymore.
Social distancing sucks, everyone
wants to be hanging out with friends and going out to lunch. Being stuck at
home is no fun, but it is the right thing to do. College students often have
two homes, the one in Pullman and the other with their family.
Hometowns
feel like they move a little slower than the fast pace of college life. Many
students have made the choice to move back home with their families in this
time of fear and social isolation.
“It hasn’t been very exciting, and I’ve found my family can never decide on a movie to watch so we sit and scroll through Netflix for an hour before giving up,” said Sara Funston, a junior zoology major.
Being back
home with family can be stressful but at the same time uneventful.
“My brother and I are super close but get very aggravated when in close quarters with each other,” Funston said. “So we are each staying at a different parents house for quarantine.”
Thankfully, social distancing has happened in a digital age. This means there are more chances to communicate with friends, families and partners who live away from us. So call someone, video chat or send a text. Everyone is in the same boat, being bored around the house.
For those
students staying in Pullman, it can be just as uninspiring.
“I am an only child so I have a lot of the same routines [as before social isolation]. I am used to being alone,” said Mikayla Makle, a sophomore majoring in English pre-law.
All this
alone time can really take a toll. Especially on mental health and
reestablishing daily routines.
Personally,
I have started my own at home workout plan every day. As well as walking three
miles a day. Moving my body daily gives me purpose and a chance to practice a
daily routine.
Making small
and healthy changes to a routine can have a positive impact, as well as eat up
the time in the day. My workout routine takes me about an hour and a half a
day.
“I am catching up on sleep and practicing self-care,” Makle said.
Students
are filling their time in different ways. Doing anything to feel productive and
get off social media for a change.
“I was so bored I finally invested in a switch, and bought ‘Animal Crossing,'” Funston said. “I also am in the process of learning how to embroider.”
Has summer
come early? Maybe, but all we are missing is the sun and events. Normally
summer is a time of relaxing and memories. For many this means moving back home
for work and to visit their family members. With school moving digitally it
feels as if summer came early.
With no more in-person classes, this means online classes are fulfilled through Blackboard and Zoom. There are less opportunities for tutoring and for students to make connections with other students in their classes and shared majors.
“I very much miss in-person classes and all the opportunities on campus. Zoom office hours just aren’t the same,” Funston said.
Social distancing is no fun. However, without the distance (six feet at least), the COVID-19 virus can spread more rapidly. Let’s all do our part and stay home and wash our hands, it couldn’t be made simpler. As my father always warned, “It only takes 10 seconds of stupidity to change everything.” Stay safe out there and please, please stay kind.