9:30 a.m. – Wake Up
My alarm goes off promptly at 9:30 a.m., and immediately I realize I probably should have gone to bed earlier the night before. Luckily, I do not have class until 12:30, so I have time to wake up, get ready for the day, and pack my bag before I leave. I try not to spend too long in bed because I know that if I do, I will convince myself that I have plenty of time to get everything done later. Yet, I never do.
10:00 a.m. – Office Hours
Once I am ready, I head out for academic office hours. For me, office hours are a great way to connect with professors and make sure I understand the content. This Tuesday, I went to office hours for Spanish.
11:30 a.m. – Lunch
By 11:30, it is time for lunch. Usually, I meet up with friends and take a little time to eat and catch up before heading to class. Having lunch between work and classes is one of the small breaks that balances the business of the day. Of course, the break does not last too long.
12:30 p.m. – Spanish
My first class of the day is Spanish. After getting through the morning, I am officially in school mode. I take notes, participate, and try to convince myself that my brain is fully awake despite the fact that I have only been up for a few hours. This week, we have been reading medieval literature.
2:00 p.m. – History
As soon as Spanish ends, it is time for my next class: French History. Having two classes back-to-back means the afternoon goes by quickly. Today, I had a quiz on one of my readings, which made the class go even faster. Before I know it, I am walking out of history and heading toward the Spire office.
3:00 p.m. – Newspaper Editing and Layout
Now it is time for one of the biggest parts of my week, The Spire. I spent the afternoon editing articles and working on layout for the upcoming issue. This is where things can get a little chaotic. There are always small details to fix, articles to check, and decisions to make before everything is ready to go. Even though it is stressful, I genuinely enjoy seeing everything come together. It is one thing to write an article, but seeing an entire newspaper take shape is a completely different experience.
5:30 p.m. – Dinner With Friends
After a few hours of newspaper work, I am ready for a break. I meet up with friends for dinner, which gives me a chance to step away from my computer and stop thinking about headlines and layouts for a little while. At this point, I’ve already been awake for eight hours, but my day is nowhere near over.
6:00 p.m. – Hanging Out
After dinner, I spend some time with my roommate and friends. These are some of my favorite parts of the day. College can feel like a constant cycle of classes, assignments, and deadlines, so even an hour of sitting around and talking can feel like a real break.
7:00 p.m. – Homework
Eventually, reality catches up with me. I head back to my room and start working on homework. I get through some of my assignments and try to get as much done as possible before dance. Having a packed evening means I have to be intentional about finding time for schoolwork. Sometimes that means working whenever I have an hour free instead of waiting until later at night.
8:00 to 11:00 p.m. – Dance
At 8:00, I trade my schoolwork for dance clothes and head to practice. For the next three hours, I’m completely focused on dance. After spending most of the day sitting in classrooms or working on my laptop, it feels good to move around and do something completely different. By 11:00, though, I am exhausted.
11:30 p.m. – Dancing With the Stars
Once I get back in my room, I shower, get comfortable, and settle in with my roommate to watch Dancing With the Stars. After a day that has been nonstop since 9:30 that morning, this is exactly what I need. There is no homework, no newspaper editing, and no rushing across campus, just me, my roommate, and a little time to relax.
1:30 a.m. – Bed
Eventually, we call it a night. At 1:30 a.m., I finally get into bed, exhausted but happy with everything I managed to fit into one day. Tomorrow everything will repeat. It will bring another set of classes, assignments, newspaper deadlines, and whatever else happens to come up. Yet, for now, my day is over. As I set my alarm, I make the same promise I make almost every night: Tomorrow, I will go to bed earlier.