If I was told as a high school junior to imagine a week in my life fast forwarded 4 years, I would not imagine it to be my schedule today. Life is unexpected sometimes.
Sunday: This year, I’m contributing to a non-profit youth leadership program for Asian American high school girls in the Greater Boston Area. I’m looking forward to planning and leading workshops that support participants in their development of leadership skills and senses of identity.
Monday: After Academic Resource Center training and Human Interaction Lab data collection, I usually stop by the Rez to sip on a Nutella latte and connect with my sisters back in California. In the evening, I attend Filipino Student Union executive board and general meetings. Currently, we are celebrating Filipino American History month through cultural workshops and documentary showings!
Tuesday: It is always a joy to contemplate the bittersweet transience of life and philosophical approaches to death in my Japanese art history course. Discrete math is, well, discrete math. When I am done with class, I hold an introductory biology study group. I am a strong advocate for strength in numbers, and I am happy to foster a collaborative space where all light bulb moments and carbohydrate-to-cartoon analogies are welcome.
Wednesday: Though mid-week lows sometimes hit, without end, I look forward to the highs of meeting with friends for brunch and contributing to the WMFO radio station in the evening. (If you are interested in hearing more about my times in WMFO, click this link!)
Thursday: What does one do when enrolled in a 100+ level Cognitive Psychology course with only 14 students? Their best. It has been a steep learning curve transitioning from reading overview textbook chapters to specialized academic journals, but I am grateful that my professor is ever accessible and supportive.
Friday: While I delight in working with visiting graduate students to analyze data, I equally (if not more) enjoy exchanging psychology puns with my mentor and principal investigator. Friday meetings are a great time to report progress on our individual assignments and group projects, all over a freshly opened bag of Oreos and a newly brewed pot of coffee.
Saturday: Saturdays change week by week. In this captured week, I get to binge nap and curate new playlists! High school me always loved basking in some well-deserved me time, and this trait holds true to this day.
It is great to have plans in place and (attempted) order in my days, but not listed in this snapshot are the random positive encounters I have with people around campus. I do not expect to receive shoutouts for my patterned sweater from across the Academic Quad, yet they do come my way. Never do I predict what edible concoction my friends will make next in the dining halls, but there they are making carnival-worthy nacho fries with Carmichael chili. I find beauties both old and new in all my days, and all I can say is that this week in my life snapshot is the best I can do to sum up the wonder.