13 things to do whilst social distancing as a York student

With summer term cancelled and your mates scattered all over the country, it is easy to feel fed up and bored with the current situation. You could just binge Netflix and take this period as time for total self care, but here are 13 other things you could be spending your time doing!

Time to start on those essays

Finish writing your assignments

Most degrees have some form of assignments for over the Easter holiday and although we may not be going back to York in April, the assignments are still due. There are no nights out, meals or other socialising to distract you, so it could be the perfect opportunity to finish your work at your own pace.

Become TikTok famous

Let’s face it, you know you’ve always wanted to be able to do the renegade as well as the 12 year olds, here’s your time to shine! With endless hours to spend perfecting those dance moves, what are you even waiting for? Even if the disruption to teaching leaves you unemployed in the future, you can use your TikTok fame to get those brand deals instead… It’s a win-win situation.

Play card games with your house mates (or family)

Apparently, you can actually still play card games without drinking… I know… It’s a revelation! In all seriousness though, if there’s a group of you stuck bored card games are a great way to pass the time- who’s up for sober ring of fire?!

Clean the house

With everyone stuck inside with no excuses, now is the perfect time to reinstate the cleaning schedule. If the fear of coronavirus isn’t enough to make your lazy housemates decide to actually help cleaning, now is the time to take them off the contract for next year’s house… sorry guys!

Help the elderly

If you really can’t hack the self-isolation lifestyle (and honestly, I don’t blame you), see what you can do to help the elderly instead. This will give you a legitimate reason to get out of the house and you’re helping in the community which is good news all round! This could include donating any unwanted food or toiletries, doing their shop for them or just checking they’re okay.

Go online shopping

While going into town is not an option, Asos is still taking orders! If you’re doing self-isolating correctly, you deserve to treat yourself to some new clothes and obviously you want to look cute while self-isolating in your garden this summer.

A social distancing treat

Start a Depop account

To make back that cash you’ve just splashed online shopping and to make room for all your new garms, starting a Depop business is essential. It may start as just a trendy version of Ebay but before you know it, you’ll be spending as much on Depop as you do on Asos… You can justify it as being sustainable and good for the planet though, so it’s okay!

Tidy your room

Since we’re moving to online uni next term, you’re going to want the best background possible to impress all your course-mates. The countdown is on… there are four weeks to order some more fairy lights from amazon and actually put your laundry away. If you’re going to be trapped in your room for the next two months, you might as well make the space homely.

Review local takeaway on Deliveroo

Not only are you helping the local economy but you’re also getting some (hopefully) good food out of it as well. Now that almost all takeaways have adapted their services to take into account social distancing, it would just be rude to not utilise these new services. It takes a bit of a hero to commit to just eating takeaways, but someone has got to do it!

Start an Instagram for your pet

If you’re lucky enough to be either isolated at home, or have a pet, you can live your best influencer life vicariously through your pet. With unlimited time to follow your pet around being its personal photographer, you’ll have enough pics to last a lifetime. If you can’t get famous in your own right, the least you can do is help your pet to.

Stalk animals on Instagram

In the case that you are either still living in your uni flat, or sadly don’t have a pet, you can spend your time stalking your friend’s pets. Best not to do this if you are self-isolating on your own though, as seeing everyone except you hanging out with their furry friends might just make you feel even more lonely!

Actually do your reading

We’re all guilty of only doing the bare minimum when it comes to uni work, so if you are truly bored and have nothing else to do while your stuck inside, you could always do your reading. Either go back through the non-essential readings that you didn’t do at the time, or get ahead for next term…

Vibe to the salvos playlist

Thanks to whichever selfless student created the salvos playlist on Spotify, we can all vibe at home on Wednesday night. There’s no excuse to not crank up the speakers and whack on the LEDs, and if anyone comes over with a noise complaint, don’t answer the door- we are self-isolating after all and that is unnecessary social contact. I vote the theme for all societies this week should be pyjama themed!