Throughout this school year, many students have been quarantined because of a coronavirus infection or exposure to the coronavirus.

Senior Ansley Hill was quarantined because of exposure to someone with the virus the last week of November.

What was it like being in quarantine? 

It was very boring. In order to only be quarantined for 14 days instead of 24, I basically stayed at my grandparent’s house. They had no WiFi, so every day I would have to drive home (and sit in the driveway) to get WiFi. That was kind of difficult, but I did it just in the hope that I could come back to school earlier and I wouldn’t miss as much school work.

What were some of the things you missed most while being in quarantine? 

Just going out in general. I wanted to go shopping so many times in quarantine, and I just couldn’t. Also eating out. I ate at the house the entire time.

How did the first few days in quarantine differ from the last few days in quarantine?

The first few days were trying to just work out what I was going to do for school and stuff with the whole WiFi issue. It was just getting used to the new routine I had to do and making sure I stayed on top of my work even though I wasn’t obligated to be at school. I would Google Meet into my classes to stay on top of it (school work) and not get behind. The last couple of days I was more used to it, and it was not as hard as the first few days. Also, the last few days were like a countdown till I was done with quarantine, which was much more exciting than the first couple of days. 

What class was the hardest to keep up with within quarantine, and why? 

Definitely Spanish by far. In that class, you need to hear it, and you need to be there. It is really interactive, and you learn through hearing it and talking to other people in the language. Even when I joined through Google Meet we did so many handouts and worksheets that made it hard to do. 

What was the first thing you did when you got out of quarantine? 

I went to a restaurant and got food, and that was the best thing. It was the best thing because it wasn’t like eating the same stuff every day (like in quarantine). 

Taking into consideration not just your time in quarantine but also everything going on as a whole, what have been some of your biggest takeaways? 

It is crazy that this is happening right now. It almost doesn’t feel real. As soon as someone I knew got it and was quarantined, it became so much more real. I definitely think masks and social distancing are a big deal, and I understand the purpose behind them more knowing someone that had the coronavirus. I just take that stuff more seriously now. I understand that people have different points of view about it, and some people say masks and all are ineffective, but I definitely feel like now it is always better to prevent it than just claiming something does not work. At least give it a try: As long as we are doing something to try and prevent it, it is important.