Students share how they are dealing with the self-quarantine

With classes cancelled and the UTM campus closed, UTM students are savoring their precious self-isolation time by taking the long stretches of terrifying uncertainty to do some self-care.

“With the ever-changing landscape of society and the stress of getting groceries, it can be hard to carve out the time to live, and not just survive. That’s why it’s important to do some self-care while you self-isolate,” a counsellor from the HCC told The Medium through a video call. “When the thought of leaving your house and going into public is too terrifying and days melt into each other like one blur, it can help to commit to a rigid routine. I try to shower at least once a week and change my pajama pants at least twice a week. It helps to have something to look forward to.”

We caught up with students to see how they’re handling the freedom of being alone.

“I knew I’d have a lot of downtime, so I bought a Nintendo Switch,” Isabelle Nook, a third-year business major tweeted. “I couldn’t risk leaving my house to go buy one from the store, so I just ordered one on Amazon and made some other poor soul deliver it to me. At least my Animal Crossing character can leave the house.”

“I’ve been taking this time of isolation to really go hard on my Tinder game. The quarantine is great because they have nothing else to do but text you back. Although if they’re not it means they’re really not into you. I’m just trying to be a part of the next baby boom. I wanna be the first to birth a Quaranteenager.” Said Amanda James, a first-year education major in a TikTok.

Sarah Merphy is quite thankful for her time alone. “I had so many assignments and exams this semester, I genuinely thought I was going to die,” she said through a FaceTime call. “So, when I saw the semester had to change because of COVID-19 I genuinely thought I was going to faint. It’s like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders and into my lungs,” she coughed. “Anyways I gotta go, my mom is taking me to buy toilet paper and then I gotta go to a family reunion!”

As the semester ends in a whisper, we at The Medium hope you stay in good health and stay home.