The Quarantine Routine

BVN students change their routines in order to make time for other activities during the continuous learning program

BVN students change their routines in order to make time for other activities during the continuous learning program

Due to the new Continuous Learning plan, Blue Valley students have received more academic freedom along with increased free time in their homes. Students have spent their new-found free time in a variety of ways. Some students have spent the day in bed while others enjoy the time trying new things that they have previously not had time to do.
In a survey on the North Star Instagram (@bvnnews), data was collected from participating students. According to the survey, students have been waking up anywhere between 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Due to varying times of when students are waking up, the times also vary when they are going to bed. Students replied that they go to bed anywhere between 9:30 p.m. and 5 a.m.
Along with these new sleep schedules have also come new routines throughout the day. Senior Cali Seck starts out her day while North Time would traditionally occur, pre-coronavirus. Due to her light workload, she is able to spend more time doing the things she loves and binging Netflix.
Besides the time difference, what Seck does to get ready for the day has not been affected by continuous learning, but it has allowed her to stay comfortable and get right to work, according to Seck.
“I never really eat breakfast, so that hasn’t changed,” Seck said. “On non-Zoom days, I just wear PJs, and on Zoom days, I step it up and wear sweatpants and a t-shirt, you know, I get real fancy for my classes. My school load is super easy. It was easy in the first place because [it’s] senior year, but now with the continuous learning program, I get most of my week’s homework done on Monday.”
Since school was moved to the home, Seck has been able to learn the way she wants, by taking breaks and eating whenever as opposed to an allotted time.
“I study on my couch with ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ in the background or on my bed, ” Seck said. “I enjoy studying wherever I feel more comfortable. I eat lunch whenever because I don’t have much of a schedule. On days I have Zoom meetings, they only take about three hours, so I’ll eat lunch between meetings.”
For Seck, online learning has been a smooth transition and has allowed her to develop a new way to learn on her own.
“In most classes, teaching myself with the notes that are given by the teacher is a lot easier and I’m getting better grades for it,” Seck said. “I typically read or watch the notes once through and then I’ll write the notes down myself. Later, I’ll watch or read the notes while following along with my own notes and that works best for me.
After schoolwork, Seck still finds ways to engage in her normal after-school activities from the comfort of her own home.
“I’m president of thespians, so I have a extra work to do for the club, when I’m done with that, I’ll do whatever,” Seck said. “I work out a lot now and cook and clean. My mom works in healthcare, so with my extra time I do whatever I can to help her and make home even more relaxing for her.”
In past school years, Seck played a spring sport in order to stay in shape. However without these opportunities she has still found ways to get exercise by doing personalized workouts.
“I spend about an hour a day working out,” Seck said. “Whether it’s walking my dog, running through my apartment complex or doing circuits, I want to stay in shape — even though we can’t play spring sports this year.”
To conclude her day, Seck has increased the time spent on her phone, staying up hours after she would have on a traditional school night.
“I spend around six hours a day on my phone,” Seck said. “It’s mostly at night, which is why my sleep schedule is completely messed up. I shoot for putting my phone up at midnight but I always end up putting it up around four in the morning.”
Seck isn’t the only student who’s day has started or ended with a phone in hand. Senior Tim Foster starts out the day no different than he has before. However, he has changed his normal routine to focus on health and exercise by using the time to cook meals instead of getting fast food or buying snacks from the school cafeteria.
“Usually I wake up around 10 a.m.,” Foster said. “The first thing I do is check my phone, so not much has changed there. I eat healthier than I did during the school day, my lunch break is pretty long.”
Foster has improved his diet by cooking himself new meals and finding healthier options.
“I have been mostly cooking eggs, shrimp, healthy desserts and other smaller things,” Foster said. “I try and find new recipes to cook.”
His online school routine consists of a short day of schoolwork and making time for family in the evenings.
“School usually consists of checking emails and Canvas, then watching videos or going on Zooms and, finally, doing the homework,” Foster said. “I study for around one or two hours per day. Learning with others is very helpful because they can answer the questions I have. I haven’t struggled at all with the new system.”
Junior Sophie Novorr has also followed her own schedule and found time to pick up new hobbies to pass the time. Her mornings start later than a normal school day because of her altered sleep schedule.
“I usually wake up around 10 a.m. to start my school work,” Novorr said. “The first thing I do is check my phone, and then I’ll get up around 15 minutes later to wash my face and get ready.”
Following her own schedule, Novorr has made time for breakfast to start off her day. Before engaging in the continuous learning program, Novorr did not have time in the mornings but now with the ability to start her day when she is ready, she has made it part of her daily routine.
“I never ate breakfast before school, but now I have time to make myself a bagel and some coffee,” Novorr said.
Although she has the added time in the morning, Novorr has still struggled with communicating with teachers, but has found her own way to deal with her schoolwork.
“It’s hard because I can’t ask questions in person and sometimes it’s hard to access things online, but I only have around one or two assignments for each class per week,” Novorr said. “I study in my room at my desk. Depending on the day, it’ll be around three or four hours. I usually just look something up or text a friend if I’m confused, since it’s harder to contact teachers. I’ve been struggling with balancing all my work, since some teachers are also having trouble with all of this. I don’t always get a notification when there’s a Zoom or when a teacher has posted an assignment. I’ll stop working around 4 every day.”
After schoolwork, Novorr spends time to herself, and later finds ways to connect to friends while having more alone time to reflect and draw.
“I’ll watch Netflix for hours, and I draw for about an hour every day,” Novorr said. “They’re just doodles, but I always lose track of time. I try to get food for my family, too.”
She has still made time to be social and reconnect with her neighborhood through social distancing with friends when possible
“I go outside usually every day if it’s not cold, and I’ll sit out in my neighbor’s driveway — don’t worry we are all six feet apart. [Going on a drive is] a good way to clear my head and be by myself for a little.”
Similarly to Seck, Novorr ends the day spending what she says is too much time on her phone, she is able to stay up later than she would on a school night because of altered learning program.
“I’m on my phone way too long,” Novorr said. “It definitely is more at night, because during the day I’m more focused on school. I’ve been going to bed around 4 each night, I know that’s bad.”
The daily routines of students have been altered due to the ability to sleep in and students have used the extra time at home to connect with others, spend family time, exercise, and catch up on their favorite Netflix shows they were behind on.