My Experience in Quarantine

By: Kenna McCarthy

Editors’ Note: Kenna McCarthy is a senior majoring in PR/MarComm. She has completed two internships in addition to her coursework. She lives on Long Island.

I never thought this would be how my education ended. Locked in my room, away from my friends and paying for an apartment I’m not living in. I went home because it made sense. To spend time with my family and hope no one gets sick and that this virus doesn’t affect my life the way it could seriously affect others. 

 

I spent my first few days doing absolutely nothing but watching Tiger King on Netflix and mourning the fact that my last semester of college was over. Quickly realizing that I was falling into the oblivion of nameless days and numberless months, I decided to make a schedule for each day. That failed when I came down with a cold, and my dad sent me to my room — where I have been quarantined since. 

I don’t think I have coronavirus because my symptoms are not severe, yet my parents who are in their 60s have the right to be scared of how this virus could affect them. They have decided my fate for the next two weeks, which means living in my bedroom. Now, there is no lack of alone-time, which is nice, and no one barges in on me because they don’t want to get “infected.” 

Yet, I am completely and utterly bored. I do my schoolwork but lack all motivation to work on anything that isn’t necessary. I seem to have no hobbies and caved in to downloading TikTok.

 

My screen time yesterday was eight hours, and I am disturbed. Never in my life would I have thought at age 22, I would be sitting in my room having no plans. I am a planner; I like thinking forward and looking towards the next exciting thing I have going on in my life. This is no longer the case. My internship was terminated, college canceled and all upcoming events I was looking forward to eliminated. 

 

I know I am complaining, I know everyone’s situation is different and people have it worse, but everyone has the right to feel these things. I feel sad. This pandemic has caused everyone to put their life on hold. I am angry at but also envy those in our country who don’t care about how this pandemic is affecting people. I am angry because their careless actions are why more and more people are dying each day. I envy them because they are going on with their days as usual and haven’t put their lives on hold. This has affected the graduating class of 2020 more than some think, and it has really put life into perspective. It has made me realize that truly nothing is certain and you have to enjoy every day because life is unknown. We are living in history and this is a period of time I will never forget.

Made by the 2020 senior communication students at Simmons University