Since school has been let out for the rest of the year, students are now faced with an almost unprecedented amount of free time on their hands. Although there are online classes to attend, homework to complete, and AP exams to study for, students still have an overwhelming amount of unscheduled time to do whatever they please. This can be hard to adjust to, considering the only time we’re mostly free from school is during Summer break, where we’re still permitted to leave the house to meet friends and find ways to entertain ourselves and stay busy. Instead, we’re left to find ways to keep ourselves occupied solely within the confines in our own home. After being so used to attending school daily for a large percentage of your life, this can sound daunting, and people may be at a loss as to how to keep themselves busy besides scrolling through TikTok and binging Tiger King on Netflix (guilty as charged), but there are tons of activities and hobbies that you can get involved in while being confined to your house and social distancing.

Baking

An obvious, and perhaps basic, activity but still fun and fulfilling nonetheless. It doesn’t have to be some grand three-tiered cake, making a simple batch of chocolate cookies also works to pass the time and serves to build your skills for any further baking projects you may want to pursue. There’s no pressure or stress that comes from baking, as even if you mess up a step or two in the recipe, chances are whatever you’ve concocted will taste good all the same. Banana bread and sourdough bread have been popular foods to bake during quarantine, so they may be a good place to start if you’re desperate for ideas.

College Courses

During your time off there’s a good chance you don’t even want to think about school, especially college, but if you’re looking to keep your brain sharp and to learn more then there are free college courses available for you to take. Coursera.org and edx.org allow you to audit classes for free, even classes from highly prestigious schools such as Harvard and Yale. Course materials for whatever class you’re interested in are also free and available to use. 

Make Art

It doesn’t matter if the art you create is necessarily “good”, creating art is cathartic no matter the quality. If you have a lot on your mind, making art can be a good way to express your thoughts and feelings openly. It Doesn’t have to be a skillfully made oil painting on canvas, it can be through any medium. Even a common ballpoint pen and notebook paper will suffice. 

Work Out

If you’re the type of person that’s always wanted to work out but chooses to procrastinate and say they’ll just do it tomorrow (and then not working out tomorrow either), quarantine is a good opportunity to release pent up energy by working out. Unless you have an in-home gym, this may be somewhat challenging, but there’s plenty of simple workout routines you can complete in your own house. Youtuber Chloe Ting’s workout challenge, for example, has gained immense popularity during the quarantine. It’s effective, and can also be completed entirely at home.