March is soon approaching, and with it the anniversary of the start of quarantine. What started as two weeks to flatten the curve has turned into almost a year long quarantine, one leaving a great deal of extra free time for many individuals. Some students have seen this extra time as an opportunity to delve deeper into pre-existing hobbies or pick up new ones- such as learning a new instrument, baking or drawing. These hobbies not only help fill the time but also provide a positive outlet. 

For Emma Gonzalez (9, J+C), it’s video editing. Gonzalez  learned how to edit videos in 5th grade, but only recently took up greater interest. 

“I record videos of myself or of other videos I like and kind of edit them and try to make them more entertaining,” Gonzalez said.

Mandala Gupta VerWiebe (12, J+C) chooses to spend her free time scrapbooking, and has been doing so since the summer before her junior year. She’s found that it helps her unwind and relax.

“I’ve been saving photos and pieces of paper that are parts of memorable moments in my life forever and I found out one of my friends used a composition notebook as her scrapbook, so that inspired me!,” Gupta VerWiebe said. 

Abby Sanders (11, HSU) has taken up both candle making and knitting over quarantine. Sanders learned how to knit from one of her friends.

“Knitting is really repetitive and calming, so it was a good, relaxing pass time for me to pick up… I made it a goal to complete two scarves to give to my grandmothers for Christmas. I love giving gifts that are handmade or personalized. This kept me working at it,” Abby explained, “For candle making, I was inspired by a bunch of fun, unused mugs I had found. I decided to try to make candles with the mugs as the container! It’s super easy to do… I found that D.I.Y. candles make for a great gift for friends!” 

Poorva Dhande (10, MST) has taken up  sketching, particularly focusing on faces and landscapes. She finds sketching quite soothing.

“It helps take away stress, mainly from all the school assignments,” Dhande said. 

Dhande isn’t the only student who’s found that her hobby helps deal with the stress of quarantine, NTI and the pandemic in general.

“It gave me something to fill up my time with and it kept me busy and distracted from the stressful things that came with quarantine,” Gonzalex said.

“When you’re trapped indoors all day it’s important to try and learn new things or do something you like to occupy your time and to try and cope with quarantine,” Gupta VerWiebe said, “They’re not necessary but I would encourage them! Hobbies are a great way to feel individually fulfilled and to learn more about your interests.” 

“It has been a great distraction that has allowed me to pass the time and relax during the quarantine. Also, one of the things I found the hardest about the quarantine is distance from people. Gifting these handmade projects to friends was a great way for me to connect with them and show them that I am still thinking of them, even if we are not physically connected,” Sanders said. 

 It’s important to find time to care for your personal life, especially when NTI may seem never-ending and homework might seem to just keep piling up. Hobbies are a great way to discover your interests and now, more than ever, is a great opportunity to build them.