{"id":4771,"date":"2021-05-02T16:59:49","date_gmt":"2021-05-02T20:59:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cah.ucf.edu\/imprint\/?p=4771"},"modified":"2021-05-06T16:35:36","modified_gmt":"2021-05-06T20:35:36","slug":"forced-time-off-a-students-reflection-on-quarantine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cah.ucf.edu\/imprint\/forced-time-off-a-students-reflection-on-quarantine\/","title":{"rendered":"Forced Time Off: A Student’s Reflection on Quarantine"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Catherine Murphy<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As soon as I graduated high school, I started working and going to college full-time. Even though I lived at home the whole time, I felt an unfounded pressure to work hard at my job and school. I needed to save money for the future and graduate as soon as I can. I didn\u2019t know why. I was just getting by each day and certainly wasn\u2019t thinking about my post-graduation plans. I just kept working. In the service industry, too, which meant 12-hour shifts spent sweating, running around, and worrying about whether I\u2019d get home to submit that assignment in time. Being a Writing and Rhetoric major, it was usually a matter of cranking out a few thousand words rather than clicking answers on a quiz. I loved the work I was doing, but everything began to feel like a chore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was getting by, both as an employee and a student, but personal growth was the furthest thing from my mind. My priorities were with serving these institutions rather than finding myself, even though the years after turning 18 are a formative time in anyone\u2019s life. I couldn\u2019t imagine having even a week to myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once the pandemic happened, though, that changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eventually, I felt comfortable enough to just relax, something that always felt impossible with the pressures I used to face.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When the virus hit and places started to shut down, I, like many others, got laid off. When places started opening again, I opted not to go back. I live with my disabled mother and young niece, so it felt like too much of a risk to expose myself, and ultimately them, to the virus. When it turned out that I would be unemployed for an indefinite amount of time, I didn\u2019t quite know what to do with myself. Being a working student had become such an integral part of my identity. It was jarring to not only revert to \u201cjust\u201d being a student, but a student who was stuck at home pretty much 24\/7. I had always thought of college students who didn\u2019t also work as privileged, and here I was, that same privilege being forced upon me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The time that would usually be spent at work, getting ready for and commuting to work, or otherwise dreading work, was now mine to spend however I wanted. After a short adjustment period, I realized I should do something with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n

I used this unprecedented free time to explore the things that I\u2019d been wanting to do for years. The sewing machine that had sat collecting dust on my shelf finally got put to use, even if it did result in many unfinished projects. With no reason to go out in public anymore, I played around with different aspects of my appearance: different clothing styles, new hair colors, colorful makeup looks. I tackled my lifelong issues with acne after taking the time to do some research online. Eventually, I felt comfortable enough to just relax, something that always felt impossible with the pressures I used to face. I sat in my backyard to soak in the sun. I played with my niece, even did her makeup along with my own when she asked\u2014we\u2019re closer than ever now, and I get to see her grow up every day. I wrote stories and read for pleasure. After falling down the Internet rabbit hole that was specialty coffee-making, I even picked up an espresso machine to make lattes from home. While not every hobby I picked up stuck, they taught me valuable skills. I\u2019m much better at sewing and mending because of all the projects I undertook, and while I don\u2019t do flamboyant makeup looks every day, my technique is much better than ever before. Despite the anxiety that has plagued this last year, I grew as a person\u2014and even enjoyed myself in the process. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\"Catherine