Ferris State University vs. COVID-19

By Katie Gilligan
News Services Marketing and Communications Assistant

Quarantine Chronicles

After returning from spring break and hearing the news of colleges closing, I couldn’t decide if I was excited or scared. Thinking I wouldn’t have to wake up for early classes was exciting but to no surprise ... I still have to wake up early.

Although so much is going on in the world around us, having stable classes and assignments has helped to keep some normality in my daily schedule. Oh, what’s my daily schedule looking like? Don’t worry, we’ll get to that, but first, I want to express how thankful I am that I go to a university that cares so much about their students.

Obviously, it was stressful for most students to transition from in-class learning to online learning, but as Ferris State Bulldogs, we make the best out of any situation. I’m so thankful how open and honest the professors at Ferris State have been about their own struggles dealing with COVID-19. I’m thankful that they have been willing to help any student that is struggling academically and even emotionally.

I’m also thankful that the staff and administrators at Ferris State have been working diligently to make sure that students have the necessary materials to be able to continue with this semester. Whether that’s setting students up to work remotely or giving credit/no credit for classes, Ferris State wants all students to succeed. Seeing how Ferris has handled this pandemic makes me proud to be a Ferris State Bulldog. 

Quarantine Routine

Quarantine might not be for everyone, and you might be going stir crazy, but staying in a routine with daily tasks helps you get other things done too. I’ve learned that this is the same idea as using ‘keystone habits’ to stay on top of accomplishing your goals and setting yourself up to be successful in other areas of your life.

During these strange times, you may feel your motivation slip through the cracks while you’re practicing social distancing at home. Creating a routine to stick to can really make a difference. Instead of talking about the things you’ve wanted to do for ages but never got around to, creating a routine can change that.

Here is my quarantine routine, and it may vary on different days, weather, energy levels, at-home work to complete, and other factors. Creating a routine has helped me to feel a sense of normality during these strange times. 

9 a.m. – Wake Up Time! Enjoy some breakfast and coffee, catch up on emails and scroll through social media. Get myself cleaned up. Oh, and of course ... brush my teeth. 

9:30 a.m. – Clean-up my room. Clutter can accumulate quickly when using your room as an office. Keeping things organized and clean will allow you to be more productive, so by cleaning you’re already setting yourself up for success. 

10 a.m. – Work on Homework Assignments. Since we can’t really encounter others due to the lockdown, I have found that passing time by getting homework assignments done in advance can leave more time for picking up a hobby or watching my favorite Netflix series.

12 p.m. – Physical Activity Time! This may vary by the day and depending on the weather. I usually follow an Down Dog Yoga routine that Ferris State has so kindly paid for students to use while the Rec is closed. 

1 p.m. – Now it’s Lunch Time. Trying new recipes off Pinterest and especially try to eat cleaner since I’m not getting as much exercise walking to and from class.

2 p.m. – Back to Homework, Again. If the weather is nice, setting up an outside office to do homework from in the afternoons, is ideal for me. This is usually when I plan for my events in the fall that I plan for Alpha Sigma Tau, as the vice president of Growth. 

6 p.m. – YAY! Dinner Time. I love to cook with my roommates or boyfriend and even Facetime friends while they also cook dinner. I like to check up on my friends who are spending this quarantine completely alone. 

7 p.m. – YouTube and Netflix Time. Putting this at the end of the day helps to stay focused during the day so that binge-watching Netflix and YouTube videos only last a few hours per day. If I watch either during the day, I’ll get too invested and won’t be able to stop.

10 to 11 p.m. – Bedtime! Although I fight the urge to stay up all night to binge-watch my shows, I must resist that urge and stick to whatever time I’ve set to go to bed — keeping this routine for when things go back to normal ... which is hopefully soon! I think my body will thank me because I’m keeping a pretty set schedule and a little control my life.

Like I said before, this routine may vary depending on how I’m feeling and what my workload is looking like. I have found that having a quarantine routine has been very helpful — especially with staying positive. 

We Will Prevail

Many of us have never lived through a life-changing event like this, and although it may be a very trying time ... we will get through this together. Remaining positive and doing our part in social distancing can help to get the world back on track. Things may seem very uncertain right now but as our history shows, we’ve been through a lot as a country and even as a world —we can do this! 

Remaining happy and healthy is so important, whether that’s physically, mentally or emotionally. Reaching out to family and friends can make all the difference in the world as many are struggling.

Remember to stay positive, happy and healthy during these strange times. Make sure to let a Ferris State professor, administrator or staff know if you are struggling in any way and they will lead you in the right direction.

This is my setup during quarantine, and I’d love to know what your quarantine set up looks like, your quarantine routine, and what are you binge-watching! Share your tips with everyone else out there and let us know!

 

Katie Gilligan is a student writer for News Services and Social Media in University Advancement and Marketing.