The end of the pandemic is now almost in sight. Recently, the FDA and government officials announced that the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine is in fact effective, and will begin distribution.

So far, around 13.4% of Americans have received doses of the vaccine, and the nation is administering an astonishing 1.4 million shots every day. The Johnson & Johnson one-dose vaccine will only contribute to the faster roll out of vaccines. And once the entire nation is deemed vaccinated, COVID’s dominating hand over our society will soon lose its grip.

Looking back a year, former president Trump’s announcement of COVID-19 as a national emergency on March 13 began this entire fiasco. All of the nation’s services, excluding essential activities, were shut down. As a result, Americans were left with an amount of free time that we did not even know what to do with.

So how did you spend your past year in quarantine?

Well, I’m sure there is one thing that we all did: sleep in. For many of us, as work and school shifted online, pillows and blankets became our best friend, even more so than normal.

Another activity that likely took up most of your waking hours was Netflix and other video watching platforms. In the absence of sports and any other COVID-cancelled activities, the TV became our second best friend, right behind our pillows and blankets.

But what did you really accomplish during quarantine? Aside from a better sleep schedule and having caught up on all your shows, can you say you will exit this pandemic as a better or more educated person?

I myself am not exempt from this scrutiny either, as I can’t definitely say that I will exit quarantine as a better person. But I did manage to do and take up some productive activities:

• I get to spend more time with my dog
• I got back into playing chess
• I started to read again
• I began volunteering at a local dog rescue: masking up to bathe those pups in preparation for their forever homes
• My family began to foster dogs too
• I workout more consistently

So how could you have better spent your time during quarantine? 

Like me:

• You can pick up a book and get to know American literature
• You can volunteer – there are countless ways to volunteer, and within our town you can help the Conservation Community prepare for Green Day celebrations or help seniors shop for their necessities
• You can workout more, or start working out! Good physical health is essential, and this quarantine has given us a prime chance to improve it. Working out can start with something as simple as going for daily walks

But there are many other things you can do too:

• Start a new club at school – I regret not beginning a Mock Trial team
• Pick up a new hobby – build Legos, draw, get a train set, anything you find fun that can peel your eyes away from TikTok
• Get to better know the colleges where you plan on applying – learn more about the place where you’re going to spend four or more years of your life!
• Meditate – health of the mind is essential to being productive
• Write a journal – get your thoughts out!
• Catch up with old friends – everyone was bored during quarantine, so reach out!

All these activities that may seem only possible to have done during quarantine are really activities that you can take up when society goes back to normal. So take these lessons of missed opportunities, embrace productivity, and be active in trying to improve yourself everyday.