So far I have mostly shared content-heavy posts about important college application tips as well as career advice, so this post is going to be something different and exciting! I’m going to share a somewhat typical day in my life as a student at Harvard University. My days can differ a lot, but this is what my day may often look like:
I wake up each day around 7 am, which is quite early for a college student. I have a morning class every day this semester, so I don’t have much of a choice.
8:45 am: Heading over to my morning class, which is Introduction to Modern Irish Language. Bigger lecture classes are often recorded so that you can watch them later (which comes in handy if you need to sleep in), but this is a small class so attendance is more important. It’s not an incredibly hard class though, so on most days, I don’t mind waking up early.
Living on campus, most buildings are just a short walking distance, so I can get to my class in less than 10 minutes.
My Irish class is in Warren House, which was built in 1833 and has an amazing history. It belongs to the Folklore and Mythology department at Harvard, and the Celtic Languages and Literature department has classes there too.
I major in Economics, which is one of the biggest (if not even the biggest) undergraduate departments at Harvard, so taking a class in a smaller department is a nice change. Harvard College is a liberal arts college, which means that you can (and also must) take some classes outside your own major.
10.30 am: After my Irish class, time to head to my next class, which is Intermediate Microeconomics. It’s a big lecture class, so you don’t get to feel too lonely! The class is really interesting, but not always very easy. In addition to lectures, we have smaller sections with teaching fellows who go over supplemental material and you can ask more questions. There are also office hours where you can get help with homework or course material in general. Even when classes are hard, there are a lot of resources to support you.
12 pm: Heading back to my house for lunch. I met with a friend and had a nice lunch together. We eat in the dining hall, so often I eat a little bit of everything. There’s always great variety in the dining hall, meaning that there’s always salad, hot foods, pasta, and soup available,
1:30 pm: I lead a section for new Harvard Undergraduate Women in Business. I help them with a financial analysis project they need to create in order to become full members of the organization. It’s a lot of fun, as I get to meet other students and share my experiences with the organization.
2 pm: Nap… College life can be hectic and busy, so a nap is an excellent way to rest and recharge in the midst of it all. I had a nice 45-minute nap in my dorm room before. Zzz…
3 pm: Economics course office hours. In college, homework can be long and difficult, so you need help very often. However, that is also a great way to connect with others! I went to office hours for my economics class to work on our problem set with my friends.
5.30 pm: Dinner. I went to my friend’s house’s dining hall to catch up with her over dinner. Most often I have dinner in my own house’s dining hall, so it’s always a nice change to have dinner somewhere else. We were talking about classes, movies, and life in general. I don’t have a lot of shared classes with my friends this semester, so often the best time to hang out with them is during meals.
7 pm: Right after dinner is time to head over to my Irish step dance class. It’s around a 40-minute commute from Harvard’s campus, so not too bad. It’s also refreshing to get to spend time outside the campus and with people from other schools as well. I have some dance competitions right around the corner, so I’m spending more time in the dance studio this semester than usual, but I love it!
9 pm: Heading home from dance class. I usually go to “Brain Break”, which is a night snack in the dining hall. I finish any homework I have for the next day and get ready to sleep. I don’t really function well with little sleep, so I try to go to sleep by midnight, especially when I have an early class the next day.
That was a somewhat typical day in my life at Harvard! On the days when I don’t go to the dance studio, I might have student organization events, parties, or simple time to go to the library. College is really what you make of it, so there are no rules on how you should be spending your time.
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