Students living at home or on-campus during the pandemic have experienced a semester of stress, uncertainty, and unexpected circumstances.
Now that the school year’s over, it may seem like there’s not much to do this summer, given that many organizations have shut down their internship programs and in-person summer study opportunities have evaporated for COVID-19 safety reasons. But that doesn’t mean the summer has to be boring!
Whether you’re just hanging out, pursuing an interest, or picking up a hobby, there’s plenty of fun, low-cost activities available to students during this strange and unusual time.
- Make use of your local library! The Worcester Public Library is offering a variety of virtual events over Zoom and Facebook Live where guests will do everything from learning about genealogy research to listening to read-alongs of classic novels to doing grown-up craft and DIY activities. See the full list of events and register here.
- What about a library that’s not so local? Even if you’re not on your college campus, your school is likely still providing access to virtual resources. Some colleges and universities provide free student access to newspapers and magazines, documentary video streaming sites, and eBook resources, so if there’s a subject that’s piqued your interest, email a librarian or check out the library webpage!
- Host a virtual blast-from-the-past movie night! IMDb TV offers free streaming of many classic movies and TV shows (and some modern ones too) so if you and your friends all have sufficient Wi-Fi, you won’t need to worry about if everyone has the right streaming subscription to watch that evening’s pick.
- Try some long-distance cooking with a friend. Pick a new recipe you both like the idea of and try it out while messaging or video-calling – if you’re not sure where to start, here’s a list of simple but tasty things to try.
- Do some mindfulness meditation. There are lots of great YouTube videos, many with soothing visuals included, for beginner-to-advanced meditators. Additionally, the meditation and sleep-sounds app Headspace offers a heavily discounted membership to students.
- Have an outdoor arts-and-crafts event with siblings or friends (socially distanced, if they’re not in your immediate quarantine unit, of course). Take advantage of a day with good weather and do a messy project, like painting or decorating clothes.
- Explore a new area! If there’s a spot near you that’s walk- or bike-friendly, try packing a lunch and taking a daylong trip just to see new parts of the place where you live.
