I do the math after 17 years and find that life at home finally adds up

In 2003, the year severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, emerged in China, I was only 12 years old.

But I vividly remember one moment in particular that year, when a few days before a math exam, our teacher suddenly told us it had been canceled because of SARS. She also said we should start to take lessons at home, as it was not known when we could return to school.

As preparing for the exam had given me a headache, it now felt as if all my dreams were coming true.

I hummed songs on the way home from school, finding it hard to hide just how happy I felt.

When I reached home, as my mother busied herself disinfecting the house, my father solemnly told me to sit down and not to go out for a month.

This was terrific news, as I hadn't been planning to go out anyway.

As my father spoke at length about the severity of SARS, I reveled in the thought of not having to go to school.

Oh, what joy! I could play games day and night, watch television series episode by episode, exchange gossip with friends through instant messaging and eat an unlimited amount of snacks. All these activities were on my checklist, and I thought my days at home would keep me busy and fulfilled.

However, after ticking all the boxes on the list, my stomach was full but my brain was clearly undernourished. On returning to school, the teacher had not forgotten about the math test, but I failed to remember how to solve most of the equations.

My first experience of self-quarantining and staying home made me realize that being a homebody was not just about doing nothing and having fun.

As a result, when COVID-19 emerged at the start of this year, being quarantined in Beijing served as a reminder of my childhood days 17 years ago.

I know that the virus will be contained one day, and that when it is, no math exam will lie in wait.

However, as I am no longer a student, home for me is now far more than a relaxing place in which to eat, drink and have fun.

When I talk to friends, they also feel that their time spent at home has helped them achieve more than usual.

Some have transitioned from being inexperienced cooks to accomplished home chefs, while others have finished reading Leo Tolstoy's epic novel War and Peace. Some have taught themselves a foreign language on education apps, while others have started livestreaming acts on the video-sharing social networking service Tik Tok, gaining thousands of fans worldwide.

As for myself, to atone for my childhood shortcomings, I have signed up for a math class with an online learning platform.