A Typical Tufts Thursday In My Life

9:04AM: *Cue iPhone Alarm Radar Sound*... Snooze Count: 1

9:15AM: *Cue iPhone Alarm Radar Sound*... Snooze Count: 2

9:23AM: *Cue iPhone Alarm Radar Sound*... This time, I don’t snooze my alarm. I quietly sit up and enjoy the last extra minutes in my comfortable bed before rolling off and landing on my fuzzy grey carpet. Sighing, I contemplate the pros and cons of getting back into bed and sleeping for a little longer before accepting the fact that I will never be a morning person. The cons usually outweigh the pros, and I begin to get ready for the day. 

9:45AM: After finishing up my morning routine, I grab my jacket and head out the door. It’s a beautiful winter morning with clear blue skies, sunshine and some leftover light snow from the night before. I start my trek down the hill to Hodgdon Food-On-The-Run to pick up my usual order of coffee with cream and sugar as well as a “Medford” from the bagel bar (cream cheese, onion, dill & cucumber on a plain bagel— my guilty pleasure & weakness). 

10:12AM: Coffee in my right hand and bagel in my left, I make my way to the first floor of the Science and Engineering Complex. I have a few extra minutes to enjoy my breakfast, so I choose a spot next to the window, and I happily munch away at my meal. Thursdays are my extra busy days, so I appreciate the little time I have to just sit, breathe, eat and meditate.

10:30AM: My first class of the day is an Engineering Science 2: Introduction to Computing Course with Professor Jennifer Cross in the Anderson Wing. It’s my first coding course ever, and so far, I’m really loving working with Python. It’s hard work, but it’s extremely rewarding at the end of the day, especially when you can get your code to work successfully! 

11:43AM: Professor Cross usually lets us out of class a few minutes early, so I join my two friends Gaby & Tara on our short walk to the opposite Robinson wing of the SEC. My Physics 11 lecture with Professor David Hammer starts at noon, so I have a few extra minutes to grab a quick bite from Kindlevan Cafe downstairs if I want to. Otherwise, I’ll sit and review my notes or ask some questions before the lecture starts. 

1:15PM: I leave my Physics 11 lecture with my head swirling, literally. It’s my first Physics class ever, so I end up learning A LOT of new material every lecture, from equations to real world examples. I leave the SEC with my friend Elijah and start my walk up memorial steps to Braker Hall. We briefly catch up about our day before splitting up to go to our own respective classes. 

1:30PM: My Social Psychology lecture with Professor Jessica Remedios begins in Braker Hall. I love Social Psychology, partly because I find it extremely fascinating and partly because it’s my one class this semester that allows me to take a break from STEM. We spend the majority of lecture learning about famous social psychology research studies and how they relate to our real life. It’s super interesting, and the course covers everything from love & attraction to prejudice & stereotypes.

2:45PM: Once my Social Psychology lecture ends, I have exactly 15 minutes to sprint to Sci-Tech. *Side Note about Sci-Tech: It’s still part of the Tufts Campus, but it’s probably one of the furthest places from “uphill”. It’s a tough run, but I usually make it with several minutes to spare. 

3:00PM: My Math 34 (Calculus 2) Recitation begins, and I work in groups of 3-5 on a worksheet that has been assigned by our Professor Michael Ben-Zvi. It’s an extremely collaborative and engaging environment, and I love recitations because I can clarify any questions I have with a TA. 

3:50PM: After recitation ends, I am officially done for the day in terms of classes. But… the fun part begins now! This semester, I’m working in Professor David Kaplan’s Biomedical Engineering Lab with the Cellular Agriculture team. Under the guidance of a graduate student, I work on research projects regarding culturing cells and growing meat in the lab. It’s a lot of fun, and an extremely rewarding experience. 

5:30PM: I walk back to Houston Hall to collapse on my bed and begin some homework, so I can have most of my weekend free to hang out with my friends or explore Boston. If I’m feeling really lazy, I’ll end up listening to Spotify, scrolling through Instagram and replying to Snapchats as a short break from my jam-packed day.

7:00PM: On Thursday nights, I usually grab dinner with some girls on my Houston Hall floor at Carmichael Dining Hall. There’s typically good food choices, and it’s a really wholesome meal time spent eating WAY too much food and goofing off about the dumbest things.

8:15PM: I make my way to Chase Gym with Anna for Club Volleyball practice. I love this time of day because it’s a win-win situation on so many levels. I get to exercise, play a sport I love, catch up with my teammates and jam out to upbeat music for two hours. It’s a community I’m really glad I’m part of. 

11:00PM: Exhausted from the long day, I take a nice, long, hot shower before turning on my fairy lights in my room and snuggling up underneath my blanket. If I have a little bit of extra time, I’ll Facetime my family and friends from back home or catch up with my roommate Rachel before calling it a day. With my heart full, I sleep with the sweetest dreams & look forward to Friday and the weekend :)