Tufts Blogs

Before I started college, I had no idea what a typical day would look like for me. Going from high school where I had 9 40-minute classes that started at 7:35 AM and ended at 2:15 PM to three or four classes a day at most has been a really big shift for me, but after a few months into the first schedule I’ve been able to create for myself I have to say that I’m really happy with the way my days were planned. So without further ado, I give you a day in my life as a first-year wanting to study computer science!

10:30 AM: Wake up!

Not having to wake up super early to go to classes is one of the best things that my college experience has had over my high school experience. I love having so much time in the morning to get ready, grab breakfast at Kindlevan in the Science and Engineering Complex (SEC), and do a quick review of my classes before going.

12:00 PM: Calculus II Recitation

Calculus II has definitely been one of my harder classes this semester so I’m always glad to go to recitation for a review of what we’ve been learning. Recitations are classes where students can review recent material, ask questions, and work on homework in small group settings with a professor or TA.

1:30 PM: CS 11 Lab

CS labs have been super helpful in putting the concepts I learn in lectures into practice. CS 11 is a large class in a lecture hall so it can be a little hard to fully understand all of the material which is why it’s so important to go to lab and try the practice problems. There’s TAs to answer questions and you can do lab work with a partner to talk through things.

3:00 PM: Lunch!

After my CS lab, I usually meet up with my friends to grab lunch quickly at Hodge on the Run or Pax et Lox before my next class. Today we were in the mood for wraps so we chose Hodge. The great thing about the dining options outside of the dining halls is that they have mobile orders so you don’t have to wait to order food or check out! I live in Hodge (the dorm hall) so we ate in the common room until I had to make the trek to 574 Boston Ave for my physics lab.

4:00 PM: Physics Lab

Physics 11 is a difficult class for sure, but the labs are really fun! This week we were testing the speed of objects rolling down a ramp. The great thing about labs is that there are only challenge questions and no strict specifications about how an experiment should be set up so students can really play around with different designs to see what works best.

7:00 PM: Dinner and Work Session

There’s a couple of options for dinner, but tonight my friends and I wanted chicken tenders from Dewick. While we eat we work on some homework and study.

9:00 PM: Jumbosec

I’m interested in Cybersecurity so I joined Jumbosec Tufts’s cybersecurity club. They bring in guest speakers, do technical demos, and participate in policy and technical competitions. This week they had guest speakers from Recorded Futures share their experiences as professionals and I was able to ask lots of questions about the working world.

10:30 PM: Wind down

I end the day finishing up any homework I was working on throughout the day, playing Animal Crossing to dewind, and getting ready for bed.