In the past, when the question of “What do you like to do with your free time?” has come up in interviews or when meeting new people, I’ve always tried to dodge it by saying “I don’t really have much free time” or “I spend time with my friends I guess.” And to some extent, this is true. At Duke, the pressures of academic obligations, extracurriculars, working out, having a social life, and getting enough sleep run our lives, leaving us with little time to figure out what we actually like to do to when nobody is telling us what to do.
At first, this made the adjustment to life in quarantine tough. I realized how much I love the structure of my regular daily life, even though in the moment it often felt stressful and overwhelming. However, now that I’ve had some time to adjust, I’ve figured out a number of ways to keep myself busy, and I hope this list can in turn help others. While I can’t be at Duke or see my friends, I’m hoping that having the opportunity to read, watch, and explore will help me expand my mind and increase my creativity in other ways. I’d like to be able to look back on this time in my life and say “Yeah, that sucked, but I learned something about myself and the world around me during it.” More than anything, though, I hope this experience teaches me to stop taking the little things in life for granted and do more of what I love, as nothing is guaranteed.
Books:
- Normal People by Sally Rooney (one of the most moving books I’ve read in a while)
- The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair by Joel Dicker (page turner!)
- American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson (strong female lead, important messages about race)
- Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson (mixes the fantastical with the mundane to talk about family and love)
- The Institute by Steven King (suspenseful storytelling)
TV Shows:
- Little Fires Everywhere (a book and a Hulu series)
- Money Heist (in Spanish! fun to watch with subtitles or in its original language)
- Arrested Development (funniest TV show in my opinion)
- It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (set in my home city)
- The End of the F***ing World (dark comedy)
Movies
- Parasite (it’s been said many times before, but this movie is truly fantastic)
- Crazy, Stupid, Love. (heart-warming rom com)
- I, Tonya (another dark comedy, but biographical)
- Trolls World Tour (yes, it’s a kids’ movie, but I’ve watched it twice already with my 7-year-old sister and it’s really good)
- Ratatouille (another kids’ movie, but a truly feel-good favorite)
Podcasts
- Freakonomics (the economics behind everyday things, lots of new episodes on COVID-19)
- My Favorite Murder (two comedians discuss true crime)
- Caliphate (by a New York Times reporter trying to understand ISIS)
- Serial (investigative journalism)
- The Knowledge Project (successful people give insight into their backgrounds and achievements)
Activities:
- Bake a cake and see how many layers high you can make it (I’ve gotten up to 6 layers so far)
- Listen to a podcast as you wander around your neighborhood
- Climb a tree
- Play internet Scrabble with college friends you miss
- Make Tik Toks with your siblings or parents
- Get really into crafting (knitting/crocheting, scrapbooking, painting/drawing, making friendship bracelets)
- Learn how to meditate
- Zoom an older relative and ask about their childhood
- Clean out your closet and make a pile to donate
- Dye your hair pink (temporarily)
