Whilst in lockdown, it can be tough to think of things to do. For some students, it is the most boring time of their lives. However, thanks to the wonderful powers of the internet and digital technology, there are so many things you can be getting on with whilst under quarantine. Here are some of our favourite things you can do as a student whilst in lockdown.

Online Events

The events industry has not completed died since the UK went into lockdown, rather it has simply moved online. Online events are becoming more and more popular, and there are thousands of ways you can get involved.

Many events are being livestreamed on Twitch. This allows you to watch along with thousands of other people, and interact with the event hosts, all from the comfort of your own home. Our friends at Bongo’s Bingo, for example, are running their crazy bingo night every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday at 8pm. Check out their channel here.

Many of the event websites have also started promoting online events to their customers. To find out some of the best online events happening over the next week, check out Eventbrite’s dedicated online event page.

If official online events aren’t for you, then maybe make an unofficial one with your friends using House Party or Zoom. We know many people organising ‘pub quizzes’ with friends or extended family. Each household picks 5 questions to ask, whoever gets the most questions right wins! It is important to stay connected and not feel isolated, and using apps to make your own little events is a great way to stay positive during this difficult time.

Exercise

Current guidelines still allow you to leave the house once per day to do some exercise. This is important for both your mental and physical well-being, and can be your only chance to get some sunlight when you’re otherwise stuck indoors! However, there are many exercises you can do from inside your own home.

Joe Wicks has become infamous for his live ‘home workout’ sessions he runs every morning. Aimed at people of all ages, these are a great way to keep fit in a fun and relaxed environment. Many people are anxious about exercising in public, particularly during the coronavirus pandemic, and home workouts are a great way to fill the time. If you don’t enjoy video workouts, there are some simple written workouts available on the NHS website.

Student Work

It can be tricky to think about studying when we are living in such a strange time, but realistically now is the best chance you will have to do your university work. With so few distractions, now is the perfect time to finish those pieces of coursework you still have remaining.

Many people will have a dissertation coming up next year, and now is a great time to start thinking about what you are going to do, and even reading around your subject area to prepare for your dissertation topic. You can even preparing interview questions or writing your literature review if you have a topic in mind.

Many of us have had exams cancelled, but that doesn’t mean you cannot prepare for next term! You will likely already know your modules for next year, so reading some relevant articles and making some notes will be a great way to prepare. Think about it; if you work now (when there is nothing to do), you will be able to spend more time having fun when you are actually allowed to go outside!

We suggest making a work timetable to study for a few hours per day. Even if you work from 10am-12pm, and 2pm-4pm, that is a solid 4 hours per day where you can achieve quite a lot! There are many revision timetable templates you can find online, check some of them out here.

Learn a New Skill

Today is also a great time to learn something new! Learning new skills is a great way to pass the time, and can also help you develop as an individual. Cooking is one thing that every student should learn how to do before leaving university, and now is a great time to start. With many students currently living at home, there will be plenty of cooking equipment around the house. Check out some easy student recipes on our website to get you started.

If you are looking to learn a new skill, there are hundreds of great websites that can help you. One of the largest is Skillshare, and you can get 2 free months of Skillshare Premium right here. Skillshare has thousands of great classes to help teach you a variety of skills, from photography to video editing to public speaking. If you always wanted to learn a new skills, but have been putting it off due to a lack of time, well you now have no excuse! So get online and learn something new today.

Make Money

This is a difficult time financially for many students. In particular, many students have lost their part-time jobs, and are looking for additional ways to supplement their income. However, just because you can’t go outside, it doesn’t mean you can’t earn money! A hugely popular freelancing website right now is Fiverr, which anyone can sign-up to and start making money. You can do almost anything on this website, from making art, to writing CVs / cover letters, to transcribing audiobooks, to writing poems, or even running people’s social media pages. It can be difficult to get orders without any reviews, but everyone had to start somewhere! Simply sign up to the website, offer your services, and see what orders you can get!

There are many other ways you can make money. Try writing an e-book and self-publishing on Amazon, you would be surprised at how much you can make if your writing skills are good enough! Another useful money-maker is YouTube. Start vlogging your experiences, or creating videos on something you are passionate about. You need to have 4000 hours watch-time and 1000 subscribers before you start earning, but once you hit this then YouTube can become an amazing way to earn an income.

The Good News

Overall, thanks to the powers of the internet, there are thousands of things you can be doing whilst in lockdown. Remember to always remain positive; the lockdown will be over soon, and just think of what an amazing time we will all have when we can finally leave the house! However, by making the most of your time in lockdown, either by earning money, doing some work, or learning a new skill, you can make sure that you have not wasted any time, and have made a positive impact on your future despite these difficult circumstances.