Isaac Newton was just 23 years old when the Great Plague of London hit the country. He was just a student at the Trinity College, Cambridge at that time. As the entire nation tried to practice their version of social distancing, the students from Trinity College were requested to head home to avoid the spread of the plague.

As the bubonic Great Plague was one of the worst outbreaks in the history of England, Newton was forced to take two long visits to Woolsthorpe to avoid being infected.

Newton’ brain thrived when he was away from his professors’ eyes. His main objective during this lockdown was to set his mind to work. During the period of isolation, Newton came up with theories which changed the world of science.He also stressed that these forced absences were the most intellectually fruitful of his whole life. Newton enjoyed the fact that he could let his mind run free and he didn’t have to be shackled by his university curriculum while conducted any kind of research.

During his time in quarantine, Newton decided to explore the fields of optics, calculus, laws of motion and gravitation. After his year in quarantine, he wrote and published three papers related to optics, calculus and other scientific phenomena. He utilised his time in isolation to the fullest, using the extra time on his hand to make giant strides in the world of science.

Newton should be an inspiration for all the students who are currently on a break from their School or University life. They should learn that this time is to focus on themselves and brush up their skills in their area of interest, even learn about unexplored topics to expand our knowledge.