50 Things to do at UVA while singing the Quarantine Blues

1. Paint draw or doodle something to put on your fridge

   1. Like to color? How to Make an Adult Coloring Book | DIY Coloring Book - YouTube

   2. Free coloring sheets from Trader Joe’s

2. Eat a new food

   1. Local food trucks and pop ups

      1. Pearl Island is yummyyy

      2. El Puerto has decent Mexican food and yummy margs

      3. Twisted biscuit has really nice bfast sandwiches for a food truck

   2. Roommate potluck (we each took a day to cook a dinner from our culture/family)

   3. Wahoo BBQ (Lake Monticello) and Barbecue Exchange (Gordonsville) are the best BBQ places in the area and allow for a mini weekend road trip

   4. There are tons of Yelp collections that can help discover new places!

3. Listen to a new album and write a review

   1. My Thirty Favorite Albums of 2020 | The New Yorker

4. Email a professor and thank them for their work

   1. Link to help find professor’s emails

5. Put on a costume and go somewhere

   1. Put on onesies and have a picnic on the lawn with some friends!

6. Write a chapter for your memoir

   1. Get inspiration from these essays: https://longreads.com/2018/09/18/age-appropriate/ and https://www.vqronline.org/essays-articles/2014/10/price-black-ambition

   2. Get help from MasterClass: https://www.masterclass.com/articles/6-tips-for-writing-a-memoir#6-tips-for-writing-a-memoir

7. Get organized for your classes, create a calendar with your exams and assignments

   1. Website: Notion (good for making online calendars, must create own account)

   2. YES NOTION

8. Hike in the local area

   1. My favorite hike: BLUE HOLE - Hiking - Sugar Hollow Rd, Charlottesville, VA (yelp.com)

   2. Crab Tree Falls (its a bit of a drive though)

   3. Humpback Rocks (short hike with amazing views)

9. Apply for a scholarship, internship, or program

   1. The Alumni Association is a great resource: https://alumni.virginia.edu/scholarships/

   2. Easily get an appointment with someone in the career center on UVA’s website

10. Read a new book

    1. The New Yorker Recommends: Book Reviews | The New Yorker

    2. Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club is awesome

11. Get a coffee with a friend socially distanced

    1. Grit Coffee, a cafe on the corner

12. Try a new recipe

    1. TikTok Feta Cheese Pasta Recipe (this was so popular apparently feta cheese sold out in Finland)

    2. Gigi Hadids Pasta https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019924-pasta-alla-vodka

    3. Taco Table !

13. Tie dye

    1. Here’s a website with lots of cool designs and step by step instructions! https://www.tiedyeyoursummer.com/Technique/galaxy-tie-dye-technique

14. Prank somebody

    1. Who said you had to wait till April Fools Day?

    2. Prank apartment mates or roomates

15. Listen to a new podcast or record an episode of your own

    1. I love the crime podcast “My Favorite Murder”

    2. How I Built This with Guy Raz from NPR to hear from CEOs/founders of famous companies today & how they got their start or Jay Shetty’s Podcast

    3. I love the daily news podcast “Up First.” The episodes are really short but really informative about everything that is going on in the world everyday. A great way to start your day!

16. Twin with a friend

    1. Buy matching sweat sets because that’s all we’re wearing these days

17. Play a game you enjoyed as a kid (board game, video game, hide and seek, etc.)

    1. Drawasaurus - a great way to play pictionary online

    2. If you’re in the mood for a crazy throwback, Candyland is where it's at!

18. If you were to get a tattoo, what would it be? Design it

    1. Get inspiration from these celebrity tattoo artists: https://www.inkedmag.com/celebrities-2/15-celebrity-tattoo-artists-and-their-celebrity-clients

19. Create a personality test to see which friend knows you best

    1. Best Friend Quiz: How well do your friends know you? (psycatgames.com)

    2. BuzzFeed Party with friends

20. Make a new friend

    1. Email me if you like Dominic Fike cmw6jh@virginia.edu

       1. ^Superstar sh*t

    2. ll4bz@virginia.edu to bond over our love for Trader Joe’s :)

    3. mo4gc@virginia.edu if you like watching the Washington Capitals play hockey

    4. Mega list of different kinds of convo starters- Conversation Starters!!

21. Try a water activity

22. Take a virtual fitness class

    1. The best and funniest ab workout: Aerobic - 8 minute Abs (workout fitness) - YouTube

    2. Heather Robertson HIIT workouts on Youtube or alifreie.com are my go-tos!!

    3. Just searching Just Dance on youtube and finding 30 min videos with a bunch of iconic just dance dances

23. Pack a picnic and go!

    1. Charcuterie boards and eating cake with a wine glass trend

24. Check out the out-door farmers market downtown (with a mask on)

    1. Invest in a cute, reusable tote before you go!: https://nymag.com/strategist/article/best-tote-bag.html

25. Have a mini bbq at one of the grills in old dorms (or s’mores)

    1. Find some twigs and grab some hot dogs and boom… you’re camping on grounds

26. Go star gazing

    1. Nau’s walkway and the Gardens are perfect for this

    2. It’s going to be cold…

       1. Easy homemade blanket! Video Instructions or Written Instructions (follow no sew)

       2. Homemade hot chocolate-- Recipe!

27. Watch a sunset

    1. Sunset drives

    2. Raven’s Roost

    3. Top of a parking garage -Culbreth

    4. First Years - Walk up to Kellogg

28. Donate something to the food pantry

    1. UVA Community Food Pantry (pantryatuva.org)

29. Feed a bird

    1. How to Build a Birdhouse (with Pictures) - wikiHow

30. Have a zoom call with your friends

    1. Powerpoint nights :)

    2. Backyard.co

    3. Netflix Party

31. Get 8 hrs. or more of sleep for 3 days in a row

    1. Nothing like having Harry Styles tell you a bedtime story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSyrQqpze54

32. Try a new app from the app store

    1. Givingli is great for sending a friend or loved one a pick-me-up!

    2. Try BitLife if you’re ready to waste a ridiculous amount of time.

    3. 1 Second Everyday to compile an album for you to look back at the year!

33. Do a ten-minute meditation

    1. My favorite meditation is from Meditation Minis (on spotify and apple music) Meditation Minis Podcast – The Award Winning Guided Meditation Podcast for Anxiety, Stress, and Sleep

    2. Headspace on Netflix and the App Store

    3. Free access to Insight Timer with UVA!

34. Watch a new TV show

    1. My current favorite show is “Sinner”! Very suspenseful and thrilling.

    2. Never a bad idea to start or rewatch New Girl for the 5th time

    3. How to Get Away with Murder!! Literally jaw dropping.

    4. Survivor is on Netflix and Amazon Prime 👀

    5. Killing Eve is the best

35. Visit the memorial to enslaved laborers

    1. https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/uva-memorial-to-enslaved-laborers.

36. Study in a new spot

    1. I suggest Stackz at Thornton Hall

    2. Rip aldy :/

37. Explore downtown cville safely

    1. Use this to plan your visit!: https://www.downtowncharlottesville.com/category/eat-drink/

38. Attend a CIO event

    1. The Whethermen (improv comedy) are partnering with UPC for a live show!

39. Make someone laugh

    1. vines that butter my egg roll all over again - YouTube

    2. Send a friend a tik tok

40. Throw a frisbee or kick around a ball on the lawn

    1. Spike ball tournament!

41. Ask someone on a virtual date

    1. virtual escape rooms! https://theescapegame.com/remote-adventures/

    2. Zoom dates are fun; especially with multiple friends

42. Make a movie of your day #vlog

    1. My fav vlogger is Casey Neistat on Youtube HOW TO VLOG LIKE CASEY NEISTAT by CASEY NEISTAT - YouTube

43. Try the weight room at the AFC

    1. Here is where to sign up Aquatic & Fitness Center | Rec Sports (virginia.edu)

44. Write a letter to yourself 10 years from now

    1. Here’s a site that will help: https://www.futureme.org

    2. Tell yourself about how you handled the pandemic

45. Perform a random act of kindness

    1. Give out a compliment a day! Compliments can really brighten someone’s day (could be to a friend or a stranger)

46. Lean a new TikTok dance or go viral on TikTok

47. Educate yourself on the Black lives matter movement

    1. The 13th is a deeply educational documentary on Netflix about the racism present in our prison system.

    2. Microsoft Word - whitesupcul07.doc (dismantlingracism.org)

48. Go on a run

    1. Races to prep for in Cville CHARLOTTESVILLE TRACK CLUB - Home (cvilletrackclub.org)

    2. Or take a walk around Grounds

       1. “Therapy is expensive but long walks with friends are free”

    3. Charlottesville marathon coming up April 10

49. Plan a post-covid trip

    1. My first stop is Zion National Park in Utah Visiting Zion National Park: The Best Things To Do - TravelAwaits

    2. First place I’m going is NYC! https://www.cntraveler.com/gallery/best-things-to-do-in-new-york

    3. Or virtually drive around a city using Drive and Listen

50. Make a new healthy habit

    1. Each week, write down one thing you’re thankful for and add to a jar

    2. Make a list at the beginning of each day of 3 things you would like to accomplish. One easy, one medium difficulty, and one hard. Start with the simple task and work towards the hard one.

    3. Keep a journal to word vomit everything that is on your mind every night (or week)

    4. Keep habit trackers for your habits!

    5. Try meditating every morning with the Insight Timer app (free premium access through UVA!)

51. Bake something yummy

    1. These Butterfinger Sugar Cookies are to die for Chewy Butterfinger Sugar Cookies | Chewy Sugar Cookies (savoryexperiments.com)

    2. My holy grail oatmeal cookie recipe https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/healthy-oatmeal-chocolate-chip-cookies-vegan-gluten-free/

    3. The only chocolate cake recipe I ever use https://smittenkitchen.com/2010/08/everyday-chocolate-cake/

    4. The Better Than Bodos Homemade Bagels https://youtu.be/8l8BheCDjeA

    5. Some mug cake recipes for people in dorms Snickerdoodle Mug Cake, Peanut Butter Mug Cake, Chocolate Chip Mug Cake, S'mores Mug Cake

52. Thank an essential worker

    1. Ms. Kathy <3

    2. The grounds ambassadors

    3. This list is endless + it feels so good to make people happy More examples: Grocery store workers, firefighters, police officers, any custodian, any uva dining staff, any sanitation worker, etc...

53. Learn how to play an instrument

    1. Guitar is one of the easiest instruments to learn

    2. Free piano app: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-piano-by-joytunes/id1019442026

54. Have a picnic with friends in the back of your car

    1. Grab lunch take-out from a local business and meet in a parking lot, blast some music too!

55. Call a friend or family member you haven’t seen in a while

    1. I think Grandma needs a call!

56. Write a handwritten letter to someone you appreciate or miss

    1. 1 dollar cards at CVS can help too!

57. Go get a new haircut/hairstyle. Go crazy!!

58. Drive in theater

    1. Goochland Drive-In Roadtrip

59. Attempt a new language

    1. Duolingo

    2. Watch a Netflix show in language that’s not your native language

60. Zoom Trivia w/ New or Old Friends\

    1. Create your own trivia questions or play with already made questions on this Random Trivia Generator

61. Make playlists for different moods or make a playlist taking inspiration from one of those 30 day song challenges picking one for each “day” for the playlist

(This article was co-authored by the University Programs' Council Special events team, 2020)