Tufts Blogs

A day in the life of a college student can look very different from a student in high school because there is more flexibility in college when it comes to planning out your schedule. In high school, you have your schedule set from period 1 to 6. However, in college, some students have work in between classes or they have no classes on one of the days in the week. So, time management becomes very crucial. Every semester, I build my schedule to make sure I am balancing my classes, work, and social life. Therefore, my schedule changes a lot from semester to semester. For this blog, I will talk about this Fall 2020 semester and how it looks with COVID-19 restrictions. 

My day looks very different depending on what day of the week it is. However, I am going to share how my days look in general. I am not taking early morning classes this semester, so my earliest class starts at 10:30 am. Since I am not on a big meal plan anymore as a junior, I cook most of my meals. I usually wake up early enough to cook breakfast and prepare lunch. I like to prepare my lunch early because I have classes one after another and do not have time to cook in between classes. I am taking one hybrid course, which meets once a week at the computer lab and the rest of my classes are through zoom. Like with everyone else out there, I had never used Zoom before so it was a little strange in the beginning. Especially for big classes where there are more than 100 people, the class feels a lot smaller because you are not seeing a class full of people. From that perspective, I think it can be less intimidating to ask questions in class. When I attend the only in-person class on Wednesdays, it almost feels strange to be back in a classroom. I have gotten very comfortable just hopping on Zoom for classes in the comfort of my room. 

I usually have three classes each day, except for Fridays. So, after classes, I am usually very fatigued from sitting on my chair and staring at a computer screen for hours. So, I like to make up for the inactivity by going for a quick run. I usually run near my off-campus house or the track field next to Harleston Hall. I think it is really important to get some exercise, so I try to squeeze in working out even if it is only for 15 or 30 minutes no matter how busy I am. Usually, I go to the Tufts gym, but I have been doing outdoor exercises. 

Depending on the day, I usually eat dinner with my friends. I think it important to still keep in touch with your friends – of course, safely. The rest of the night is usually spent doing my homework and catching up on work. Overall, it was a bit unnatural to have so much freedom in making my schedule as a freshman. However, as the year goes by, I think it becomes easier and you have a better sense of how to manage your time!