How to Stay Busy This Summer: Quarantine Edition

For most (if not all) of us, COVID-19 has thrown summer plans out the window. Instead of conducting research or eating pastries in Paris, maybe you’ve been scrolling through Tiktok for three hours at a time. Here are some ways to stay busy this summer!

Call, Email, Petition, Protest

Everyone should be doing this, regardless of how busy they are. Call and email your local representatives to support criminal justice reform and anti-racist legislation. Sign petitions and attend webinars and events hosted by organizations like Black Lives Matter and the ACLU. A list of events hosted by the ACLU can be found here.

Train for a Half-Marathon

Even though races may be indefinitely postponed, picking a goal and working toward it is a great way to keep up your motivation during these uncertain times. With the sun out and temperatures high, running is a great way to boost endorphins and soak up some Vitamin D, because — let’s be real — you haven’t gone outside in the past two days.

Start a Youtube Channel

If running isn’t your thing or it’s too hot to step outside, follow the lead of other Harvard students and start your very own vlogging channel! Leverage that sweet Harvard name, and if you’re lucky, you’ll make enough money to offset your internship that was cancelled because of coronavirus.

Tutor

Love children? Love money? Again, here’s another way you can use the Harvard name to get you some shmoney and keep your brain from atrophying over the summer. It can also be a great volunteering opportunity and will distract you from the ever-vague emails about plans for the fall.

Stay Class-y

We’ve recommended Duolingo in the past, but if you’re looking for something a little more formal, both Yale and MIT have free courses and materials online, and mastering a new software is bound to be useful for padding your resume. You can even relive your freshman fall by taking CS50 this summer. Just be warned: There isn’t a free shirt when you’re done.

You may not be in Italy, but we hope you have found ways to stay busy this summer. And if all else fails, staying socially distanced is always a safe bet!