Wednesday during a Hybrid Semester
8:00am: Alarm rings, only to be snoozed.
8:30am: Second alarm rings and I get up for real!
9:00am: My RA duty shift for lockouts finally ends from the night before at 9pm and I unforward the phone for the Residential Life office to take calls for the remainder of the day.
9:00-10:15am: It’s time for my Yoga for Emotional Well-Being class over Zoom! Yoga is a form of physical activity I’ve enjoyed since high school and it felt really fitting to take a class this fall amidst all the moving parts. We start with some warm up stretches where everyone has an opportunity to suggest a motion and then we move into some meditation. This class, we spent time talking about mindfulness and our varied interpretations of it before the instructor guided us through a mindfulness meditation. We move onto the practice of vinyasa yoga while still being conscious of our breathing. As difficult as it can be to concentrate and be present sometimes, I always feel relaxed and at ease when the class comes to an end.
10:30-11am: I check in with my Assistant Residential Life Coordinator (ARLC) who is my point person of contact for everything RA-related for my on-campus house, the Muslim Culture House. We talk about how the residents have been transitioning to campus and ways that she can support me and my co-RA in supporting them and organizing exciting house programming. I share some of the highlights we had from our Welcome Back Dinner, courtesy of Res Life funding :)
11:00am-12pm: Time for a bagel and some coffee! I like going for a light breakfast and am also usually able to catch up with a couple of my housemates who make breakfast in the kitchen around the same time. While drinking coffee I enjoy listening to my favorite podcast Identity Politics, and catching up on emails and making a to-do list for the day.
12-1:15pm: Second class of the day is my Tisch Scholars Fieldwork Seminar. I have the opportunity to reunite with members of my Tisch Scholars cohort and the seniors in the program as we participate in a discussion led by our peers. It’s always a joy attending class with fellow Tisch Scholars as we engage in activities, conversations around current events, our passions, and much more. Some of my favorite staff members on campus are the Tisch Scholars teaching team and administrators who never fail to foster warm and inclusive spaces virtually and in person.
1:15-1:20pm: Dhur prayer (this is one of the five daily prayers Muslims complete throughout the day)
1:30-2:45pm: My last class of the day, Arabic 21. I’ve had the pleasure of studying Arabic at Tufts since my freshman year and have relished every part of the journey of learning, being challenged, and supported by the amazing faculty in the department. This unit we’re covering the topic of journalism in the Arab world and mastering vocabulary that allows us to have full-on debates about free press or the lack thereof and the sustainability of printed journalism.
3-4:30pm: I usually grab lunch, do some of my readings for class, and end the hour with Asr prayer.
4:30-5pm: Perhaps my favorite part of my Wednesday is when I go out for a walk on my way to get a weekly COVID test. With a full load of virtual classes I sometimes feel burnout from Zoom fatigue so it’s always refreshing to take a stroll with some music in the background.
5-7pm: Studying and homework concentration continued! Although I am unable to study in on-campus libraries and buildings as freely as I would my first two years, I was able to create a makeshift office corner in my room that has helped me stay productive.
7-7:10pm: Maghrib prayer
7:15-8:00pm: Dinner from Hodgdon, courtesy of a meal swipe from a generous sophomore resident :)
8:00-11:30pm: Working on projects, note taking, & extracurricular tasks
11:30-12am: Skincare/evening routine, pray Isha, and go to sleep :)