In order to keep busy during quarantine, Auburn students have been getting creative as to how to spend their time in between Panopto lectures and Zoom class meetings.
On March 20, the University that they will not resume on-campus classes. Amid the coronavirus outbreak, Auburn hoped to promote social distancing by reducing the amount of people on campus.
Most students have opted to stay home since the University’s initial announcement during spring break to move to online classes until April 10, while other students have continued to live in their apartments in Auburn.
Lanie Whorms, sophomore in accounting, said being in her major has kept her busy with school work during this time.
“I’ve had like three exams and a project already, so I’ve been kind of busy,” she said.
Besides school work, Whorms said she also does a variety of activities like reading, using social media and watching movies.
“I cook a lot," she said. "I now have time to cook and try different recipes, so I’ve been doing that a lot more."
To get fresh air, Whorms said she will read outside on her porch, go for a run or go for a walk.
“A run or a walk helps keep me motivated too," Whorms said. "It pushes me to do more things and stay active."
Similar to Whorms, Cecily Anderson, sophomore in environmental design, said that she has also been trying to spend more time outside.
“Going for walks is nice," Anderson said. "I go outside to take walks or go for a hike.”
Besides taking naps or watching “a good bit of Hulu and Netflix,” Anderson said that she has been attempting to explore her passion for art more.
“I’m trying to motivate myself to get back into making art, but it’s hard to commit to much with everything going on," she said.
Anderson, who chose to go home for the quarantine, has also been enjoying the company of her family.
“I watch movies and TV shows with my family a couple nights a week, and we usually eat dinner together," Anderson said. “I think we are doing a pretty good job of making sure everyone has alone time so we don’t end up getting sick of each other."
Both girls stated that finding the motivation to do school work and other activities is hard while at home.
“It’s not really that hard to come up with things to do — I think my main problem is staying motivated to do them,” Anderson said.
Whorms added that being at home has really shortened her attention span.
“I think it’s really easy to get distracted when you’re just sitting at home,” she said, “My attention span is a lot shorter than I thought it was. I’ll get a message on my phone and go off track for 30 minutes.”
Social distancing has been straining people's social lives and businesses, which means people need to make more of an effort during this time, Whorms said.
“People are also calling each other a lot more, so FaceTime is important now, and then another thing people have been doing is making sure they support their local businesses,” she said.
Despite these challenges, Anderson and Whorms both said that they think social distancing is important to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Anderson said that while she wishes she could be back in Auburn, she knows that for now she needs to practice healthy habits and make the best of the situation.
“We’re facing an unprecedented reality, and we don’t know just how bad the virus can get,” Anderson said.
It is also important to be careful during this time in order to ensure the health and quality of life of other people, Whorms said.
“If you’re not safe and don’t practice social distancing, you never know who you could possibly affect,” Whorms said. “I’ve been trying to stay away from my grandparents, and I have a friend that has an autoimmune disorder so I’ve stayed away from her because I don’t want to get anyone else sick.”
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