A Week in the Life

Hello everyone! I'm all settled back in at school after my crazy weekend! If you read my last post, you'll remember that I went to Boston this weekend to visit my friend Val and go to a Hot Chelle Rae concert with her. I had SUCH ga reat time! But summer's not here yet, even if the beautiful weather today made it seem that way.  This morning I got up and went to class, just like a normal Monday. 
Before choosing a college, I know I wanted to get a glimpse into what a typical day would be like. So I decided I would share with my wonderful readers what a normal week looks like in the life of Merrill:

MONDAY

• Wake up around 8, get ready for breakfast at 9:15
• Intro to Philosophy class from 9:50-10:50

       Even though I had some philosophy in high school, this class has been particularly challenging for me.  The beginning of the semester started out smoothly, but unfortunately I did much worse on our first exam than I would've hoped.  However, I had talked to my professor about the situation and we brainstormed ideas for me to both do better on the next exam and earn some extra credit to bring my grade up.  You may remember from my last post that I did well on my most recent exam, so my extra effort paid off!

• Concepts of Chemistry from 11-12:50 (This is longer than a normal class period, but it's only held twice a week!)
• Lunch around 1:15
• Middle School Mentors (MSM) from 3:15~5:45

       MSM is a program sponsored by MOVE, which stands for Mobilization of Volunteer Efforts, the volunteer organization on campus.  At the beginning of the year, I applied to be a mentor and was accepted!  Every Monday afternoon, I mentor a middle school girl, which basically means we spend time together doing whatever she wants - from hanging out with her friends who also have mentors to doing things like painting our nails, watching tv, or coloring (who doesn't like to color?!).  I really enjoy my time with my mentee and feel good about giving back to the local community.

• Dinner (with my mentee) then more work until bedtime!

TUESDAY

• Wake up around 8, get ready for breakfast at 9:15 (so nice to be able to wake up at the same time every day!)
• Macroeconomics from 9:50-11:20 (with one of my favorite professors, Reza)

       One of the reasons I wanted to take econ was because Reza was a guest at all my floor meetings last semester and he seemed like he would be a really helpful professor.  Although econ has probably been my most challenging course this semester, I'm so happy I took it because Reza has taught me to think logically and ask for help when I need it.  I have really taken advantage of Reza's office hours this semester, which is something that all professors are required to have so that students can meet with their professors if needed.

• Aftermaths from 11:30-1

       Aftermaths is basically an English class, something I decided to take in order to fulfill one of the Liberal Studies Requirements (or LSRs) that Saint Mike's, being a liberal arts school, has their students complete.  The class gets its name from the fact that we study the aftermaths of 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, and the Great Recession.  I wasn't sure I wanted to take this class, but it has actually ended up being my favorite class this semester.  I have really enjoyed just about all of the books we've read and the discussions we have in class are always interesting.  To be honest, I didn't talk much during class discussions in my English class senior year, but for whatever reason my Aftermaths class has really pushed me to be comfortable in expressing my ideas, which I'm very happy about!

• Lunch around 1
• Library, the place where I get the most work done, for the rest of the afternoon!
• Dinner, then more work until bed

       I never really spent much time in the library when I was in high school, but since being at college, it's my favorite place to get lots of work done.  I always go to my favorite spot on the third floor to work.  There's just something magical about that desk that helps me get so much done!

WEDNESDAY

• Same class schedule as Monday!
• After class, I usually go to the library until dinner at 6
• Liturgical Choir at 6:30 - one of my favorite times of the week!

       I always have a blast at Lit Choir.  We practice every Wednesday for an hour in preparation for Sunday Mass.  Everyone there, including the choir director, Jerome, is so nice.  I never thought I could have such a good time at church, and find myself looking forward to Wednesdays every week!  Also, one of the most exciting parts of Lit Choir is our annual trip.  Every year Lit Choir/Band goes on a tour of sorts, usually to New York City/New Jersey or the Boston area.  This year, we went to two high schools and two churches in Portland, Maine.  My family has a house not too far from Portland, so my mom was able to stay at our house and then attend one of the Masses we performed at, which was awesome!
       Overall, the trip was really tiring (we didn't get too much sleep because of all the fun we had) but so amazing and I can't wait to go again next year!!

Here's the whole group at one of the high schools we sang at.  Like the "Nun Better" in the background? :)

  

Some of my wonderful Lit Choir friends - Amelia, Emma, and Alex (and me on the end!)

THURSDAY

• Same class schedule as Tuesday!
• After dinner, I go to Zumba from 6:30-7:45

       I'm not a huge fan of exercise, but Zumba is SO MUCH FUN!  The instructor always has a great music for us to dance to.  Here's one of my favorite Zumba songs:

FRIDAY (One of my favorite days of the week!)

• Wake up around 8, breakfast at 9:15
• Intro to Philosophy from 9:50-10:50
• FREEDOM! (Since philosophy is my only class on Fridays, I have the rest of the day to do whatever I wish!)
• Homework or other odd jobs in my room until lunch around 1:15, then back to homework for the rest of the day until dinner
• After dinner, my friends and I all do something together.  Depending on the weekend, this could be something as exciting as going into Burlington or just relaxing and watching movies in our room.  If we're not sure what we want to do, we alwyas have the option to go to one of the dorm socials that are held every weekend by different RA's.  The socials have activities ranging from different kinds of food to tye-dyeing to Easter Egg Hunts in the dorm buildings.

SATURDAY

• Hopefully sleep in!
• Brunch whenever we feel like it (usually around 11 or 12)
• Homework until dinner, then something fun just like Friday night!

SUNDAY

• Hopefully sleep in again, unless we decide we want to go out to breakfast.  My friends and I normally like to treat ourselves to breakfast in Burlington about once a month.  It's really nice to get off campus and have some delicious food out on the town!
• Homework until dinner (depending on how much I have)
• Dinner at 5
• Lit Choir practice at 5:30, then Mass from 7-8
• More homework or some relaxation before bed in order to get ready to do it all again!

So there you have it.  You should know that even though it may seem like I do homework every free second I have, I do find time to relax and have fun.  I'm currently reading Catching Fire, the second book in the Hunger Games series, so I definitely do my best to make some time for that.  Also, I have a few favorite TV shows that I never miss, which include: Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, Once Upon a Time, and Make It or Break It.  My TV shows serve as great motivation for me to get my work done so that I can relax while I watch them.  It's a great way to de-stress after a long day of hard work!

Hope reading about my weekly schedule was helpful, and don't hesitate to ask me any questions by commenting at the bottom of this post!  Have a great week everyone!