Most of us are probably back home, with our second semester being cut short suddenly. Just as we finally settled down and got comfortable after the Christmas break, it was time to up and leave. And now that we’re home for a long period of time, we’ve had to swap our chill university routines to a very different one back home.
With parents working from home and siblings also being stuck in the house, it’s almost impossible to live the same life I did whilst at university. Us students are notorious for waking up and sleeping at wild times, but back home this isn’t really something I do. I’m in bed by midnight and up by 10 at the latest.
“Almost like a hotel restaurant – each meal is to be eaten at a certain time”
Sometimes the first meal of the day I would have back at university would be dinner. At home, my parents make sure I have 3 main meals. Whilst my body loves me for this, it also means having to stick to a specific schedule. Almost like a hotel restaurant – each meal is to be eaten at a certain time and there is very little leeway.
Gone are the days of hoovering the house only once a week (if that even!) and now it’s a daily thing. I’m using cleaning products here back home that my poor student house could only dream of seeing.
What makes things even more funky is the fact we’re all stuck inside together without having the freedom to leave and see whoever we want, whenever we want. It’s only been a fortnight, but I could most definitely recite everyone’s daily timetable without making a single mistake.
“I mean where exactly are you going to run off to? The kitchen? Privacy when in quarantine is hard to find”
There is only so much TV, Netflix and YouTube you can watch without going crazy. It feels like Christmas time – we’ve pulled out the board games and play a round or two every night. These can get pretty heated and it’s pretty hard to escape the situation. I mean where exactly are you going to run off to? The kitchen? Privacy when in quarantine is hard to find.
Finding the motivation to study is also very difficult. With two siblings who have no exams or much work to do, I find myself envious as they get to spend their entire day doing whatever they like. Being productive in this weird situation is hard. My study breaks at home consist of washing the dishes or putting the shopping away. Back at university, a study break was grabbing myself a cup of coffee and watching YouTube for a longer period of time than I should have been.
“You win some, you lose some, I guess.”
At university, we’ve all got used to being independent. We make our own choices and are accountable for them. But now that I’m home, I’ve got to be considerate and think about those around me. Am I disrupting my parent’s productivity? I don’t want to wash the dishes now, but I’ve got to.
So, whilst I get fed three times a day here back home, I also don’t get to choose what I eat. Whilst I get to spend more time with my family, I have very little me time. You win some, you lose some, I guess.
Zoya Gulshin
Featured image courtesy of kbetart via Flickr. No changes made to this image. Image license found here.
In article image courtesy of @coffeepancakesdreams via Instagram. No changes were made to this image.
For more content including uni news, reviews, entertainment, lifestyle, features and so much more, follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and like our Facebook page for more articles and information on how to get involved. If you just can’t get enough of Features, like our Facebook as a reader or a contributor.
Thanks so much for using my photo!