A Day in the Life of a Fellow
Zoë details a day in her life as a summer admissions fellow.
Zoë details a day in her life as a summer admissions fellow.
7:15 am – Wake up and commute to work
I wake up around 7:15 am, giving myself plenty of time to get ready, pack my lunch, and head off to work in the Scoville admissions office. The commute to work could not be much shorter—it usually takes me about 3 minutes to walk from my house to the office.
8 am – Office projects
Depending on the day, the admissions fellows are tasked with completing a variety of projects. For example, we occasionally stuff sling bags for prospective students, scan high school transcripts, and help prepare for various summer programs. Other projects include building the profile for Class of 2026 (see the Class of 2025 profile for reference) and putting together the statistically-based Matter of Facts pamphlet.
10 am – Tour time
Giving campus tours with my fellow tour guides is always a fun time. I enjoy building rapport with my coworkers and answering questions about Carleton for our visitors. Sign up for an in-person visit to Carleton for an information session and a campus tour today! You’ll get two of us (the summer fellows) as your tour guides.
12 pm – Lunch with coworkers
Getting lunch with the other fellows is always a nice break from the work day. We all get along well and have become friends just within the first few weeks of the summer. From reflecting on the tours we gave, to cracking inside jokes, to chatting about our summer plans, we somehow never run out of things to talk about.
12:30 pm – Blog writing and editing
Maintaining the admissions blog (what you’re reading now) is an ongoing project that all of the fellows contribute to throughout the summer. I help edit posts before publishing them, and I also write my own. After gaining experience with blogging my sophomore year, I stepped into the blogger and blog editor position my junior year. It’s been a fun year of blogging, and I love how the job combines two of my interests: writing and photography.
3 pm – Interviews
Depending on the day, I might conduct an interview. Throughout the summer, the admissions fellows interview prospective students. As current Carls, we love getting to know future students. Our interviews are meant to be conversational rather than intimidating, and they’re also a great space to get some questions answered. Interviews run from about 30 minutes to an hour and they’re done over Zoom.
5 pm – Cello practice
Because I store my cello in the Weitz Center for Creativity, it is super easy to get some practice in! While I don’t play my cello nearly as much as I did in high school, lately I’ve found it enriching to rehearse pieces that I’ve previously enjoyed playing. I’m currently brushing up on the Bach Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major just for fun.
7:00 pm – Dinner
Admittedly, my summer meals are quite simple. Pasta, wraps, and rice bowls have been staples, with apples, carrots, hummus, and yogurt dominating the scene as well.
8:00 pm – Friends
Not only have I been lucky to befriend my coworkers, but I also have a number of friends also staying in Northfield! Working for other campus offices or doing research with professors, we’re all busy during the work day. However, later in the evening we find time to spend time together. From gathering at a local restaurant or brewery, to getting ice cream, to going to the movie theater, to watching the 4th of July fireworks, there are plenty of lovely ways to spend time with friends.
10:00 pm – Decompress
I recently bought a kindle, and I’ve been using it nonstop for summer reading. Lightweight and portable, I take it with me everywhere to chip away at my reading list. Besides that, I like to relax by watching a TV show or going on a long walk.
12:00 am – Bedtime
Because my days are quite busy, I try to go to bed before midnight. That way I feel well rested and ready to go for work at 8 am the following day. It is the summer, however, so I can’t say I always stick to this!
Zoë (she/her) is a senior Sociology-Anthropology major from South Bend, Indiana who loves traveling and photography. Her sophomore year, she studied abroad in Denmark and started a personal travel blog. When she’s not giving tours and blogging for admissions, Zoë enjoys frequenting the coffee shops in downtown Northfield, luxuriating in long walks in the glorious Arb, playing the cello, participating in club soccer, doing research with her sociology professor, and scoping out delicious plant-based restaurants and recipes. Meet the other bloggers!