As of mid-April, George Mason students will have completed one month of online classes since quarantine. In this article, students share their own advice with other fellow honors college peers. Photo taken by Evan Cantwell/Creative Services.
The world’s shift to a “new normal” has not been without challenges, but with a few weeks behind them, students are discovering ways to thrive during quarantine. Always a community looking for ways to stick together and help each other out, here’s what some other honors college students have to say on taking care of yourself and making the most out of quarantine:
"Take breaks. Please please please take breaks - it's so important for your motivation and mental health to pause every once in a while. If you struggle to take just short breaks and find a five minute snapchat check turning into three Netflix episodes (I may or may not be speaking from personal experience) then ask your friends to tell you to get back to work at a certain time."
—Elise Mertz, Sophomore
"It's okay to feel a lot (or not) during this pandemic. Whether you're panicking and upset or continuing to live your life it's all valid and okay. We all experience large events in different ways, don't beat yourself up for feeling a certain way."
—Caitlin Thompson, Sophomore
"Video stream your screen and play a party game with some friends! Set up calls with different friends for each day of the week! Take up origami! Take a walk! Watch a YouTube tutorial about something you've always been interested in, and try to follow along! Spend some time organizing a bucket list of things you can do from!"
—Faith Lam, Senior
"This is a great time to pick up a new hobby or reconnect with an old one! Crocheting, knitting, sketching, learning a musical instrument, and cooking are all great options. Try to go outside at least once a day. If you're under shelter-in-place orders, you can still go out in your yard. If you don't have a yard, at least open a window. Vitamin D is important y'all."
—Elise Mertz, Freshman
"Please do not isolate yourself. This is so important. Keep texting/face timing/calling your friends. For one thing, it helps them feel loved and supported. For another thing, it will probably keep you sane. If you struggle with long distance communication, maybe set a reminder on your phone once or twice a day telling you to check group chats and send a message to at least one person."
—Elise Mertz, Freshman
"I’ve tried to plan a weekly game night with my family. Every Friday, we sit down for a while and play a board game together. It is a great way for us to relax after a long week and take our minds off of the crazy world around us. I highly recommend doing this if you can! I’ve also created a Minecraft server for me and my friends so that we can connect virtually and still feel as if we are having a collective experience. It helps us not feel so alone. Games of all sorts are getting me and those closest to me through this quarantine – and I hope they can have a positive impact on your life too!"
—Joshua McLean, Junior
"Find the schedule that works for you. You might not be a morning person, and even though a lot of internet resources say that an early start is essential to success, if that early start leaves you exhausted and headachy, then it’s doing more harm than good."
—Elise Mertz, Freshman
"Try to keep a regular sleep schedule. Decide what that looks like for you!"
—Faith Lam, Senior
"Write out your to-do list in manageable chunks, then choose how many chunks of work you want to do each day. You can schedule the work for throughout the day, and the rest of the day is yours!"
—Faith Lam, Senior