Hurricane Ian finally blew its storm on Florida grounds on Wednesday, Sept. 27, with heavy rains and thunderstorms being the first conditions to make their impact. The path of the storm seems to be everchanging, as it was supposed to curve away from south Florida and hit the Tampa and Orlando areas majorly. However, strong wind currents have labeled the storm a Category four hurricane, shedding rainfall all over the state.

Just as rumors circulate of Hurricane Ian possibly making an impact on South Florida, students’ heads pop up one by one during class to spread the news that Broward County Public Schools are shut down on Wednesday, Sept. 28 and Thursday, Sept. 29. Flood and tornado warnings blow up students’ and faculty’s phones, alerting them to stay indoors. Students rise out of their seats to celebrate the break from school, not realizing that they would consequently be stuck in their houses during those days off.

Sustained wind speeds of up to 50 miles and rainfall of up to 24 inches are predicted to impact the Central Florida area, but south Florida is expected to get some of the blowover conditions. No student, parent or faculty member should be out on the streets in the next two days. In the meantime, here are some things that could keep one occupied during this extended time inside.

Firstly, students can complete the homework they were assigned before the storm arrived. Boring, I know. While many would want to procrastinate and leave it until campus is reopened, being productive during this time could help many catch up on assignments. If the month of Sept. has been extremely busy for anyone,as it has been for me with clubs starting up again and new tests every week, this time off is a great opportunity to crank out any last minute essays or math worksheets.

Another great way to kill time over the next two days is to sleep. Between staying up late to do assignments and waking up before dawn to get to school, sleep has been scarce for many. Crashing on the couch, or a beanbag chair in my case, for a ten minute power nap does not make up for the eight hours of sleep one should get every night. Take the time over the next two days to get a full night’s rest in, and maybe a nap during the day to ensure maximum beauty sleep.

As clothing trends come in and go out faster than someone is canceled on the internet, Gen Z students buy and collect an absurd amount of clothes. Many have clothes stacked to the ceilings in their closets or sprawled out on their bedroom floors. Forget spring cleaning, the next two days should be cleared out for fall cleaning.

Folding a shirt or two would not hurt, and reorganizing closets and drawers can make finding an outfit for school much easier. In cleaning out closets and drawers, a great suggestion would be to make a pile of clothes that can be donated to a thrift store or a homeless shelter. With tornadoes touching ground and immense flooding in Florida, many families will be in need of clean clothes after the storm passes over.

With late nights filled with homework and weekends packed with extracurriculars, many have not had time to catch up on their favorite shows, movies and books. If the power lines are in your favor, watch a show or a movie to pass the time. Maybe watch a new show or movie and discover a new favorite. For those who have shorter attention spans, grab a book and start reading. Whether it is a series or a stand alone novel, time flies when you are immersed in a great book. The rainfall pattering on the window is an added bonus, as it is great background noise for reading.

While many are staying sheltered inside from the storm, it can get boring moving from the bedroom to the kitchen, to the couch, back to the kitchen and then back up to the bedroom. Having something to do will help consume time over the next two days. Instead of gluing your eyes to the weather channel all day, try occupying your time with a fun activity.