A Day In The Life – Spring Term
Hannah gives a rundown of her typical Friday at Carleton.
Hannah gives a rundown of her typical Friday at Carleton.
As we get closer to college decision time, you may be wondering what exactly is college really like at Carleton? Yeah, you went on the tour, got the admissions info, and you talked to some students, but does that really mean you know what life here is like?
Allow me to shed some light on the situation and give you a rundown of a classic day at Carleton (for Hannah anyway). Legal disclaimer: this is a Friday schedule so it is a tiny bit different from the rest of the week because of Convocation (but more on that later).
9:03 am – I wake up
Okay, this activity is obvious, but still very much a part of my day. I get dressed, make my bed (in an ideal world this event occurs), pack my bag, etc. Sometimes I eat breakfast in my room, sometimes I grab it from the Schulze Café in Anderson Hall, where I have my first class.
9:40 am – 10:40 am – Paleobiology
This is my favorite class this term! It is a 200-level Geology course (my major!) with a lab on fossils, their anatomy and classification, evolution, and ecology. Clint Cowan is already one of my favorite professors despite the fact that I have only had him for a few weeks. I find every geology class I take to be fascinating and I adore the department. Usually this class is from 9:50 – 11:00 am, but it ends early to give extra time for Convocation (or if you’re a Carleton student– “convo”).
10:50 am – Convocation
This term I am trying to go to every Convocation! A Convocation is basically the Carleton equivalent of a TedTalk, where we have a speaker come to the chapel and talk about something interesting, important, or relevant (ideally all three).
Last week’s speaker was Matthew MacWilliams who talked about the global rise of authoritarianism and the implications of his findings for the future of democracy with elected officials and civil society leaders.
11:30 am – Quick Lunch
Most of the time following a Convocation speech, audience members can ask questions. I will admit unless the presentation was really really something I was interested in, I usually leave this portion to go to the dining hall LDC. I usually eat lunch for 20-30 minutes (which seems like a long time but my meals are usually an hour or more if I have time to spare because it’s a good way to get some social time in between homework and practice).
12:00 pm – Office Hours
I don’t typically go to office hours every Friday, but I had some questions to ask my professor about Paleobiology, and my major in general as I try to determine my summer plans. My professor doesn’t even technically have office hours during this time, but professors are almost always willing to find different times to meet if you have scheduling conflicts. In this case, I realized I had questions about class two hours after office hours on Wednesday, and so I emailed Clint and we set up a different time. Office hours are so helpful (go to them!).
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm Work @ The CCCE
The CCCE stands for the Center for Community and Civic Engagement, where I have one of my two work-study positions (embarrassingly I always have to check to see if civic or community comes first because I am so used to just saying CCCE). My other campus job is writing for the Admissions blog (which you are reading now!).
The CCCE office is in Sayles, so I stopped by the Friday Flowers table to buy flowers for my friend Audrey who was stressed about a chemistry exam to brighten her day. Friday Flowers is a fun tradition that happens every Friday where you can buy flowers to put in your friends’ mailboxes.
2:20 – 3:20 pm – Introduction to Computer Science
Computer Science (CS) is my second and only other class of the day. My other class, Introduction to Anthropology, is on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I am taking CS because it counts as one of my two math courses needed for the geology major, and it is a helpful skill to have for various internships and other positions. So far I am actually liking it a lot more than I thought I would, and coding is pretty fun.
4:00 pm – 6:00 pm – Syzygy practice
I am one of the D1 ultimate frisbee teams here, Syzygy, which plays in the women’s division of college ultimate. I just joined the team this fall, despite having never played frisbee before. Depending on the weekend, I either have Friday practice, or I am leaving campus for a tournament usually in a different state! Frisbee is a great outlet (although it is occasionally a creator) of stress, as I learn new things each practice. I have met so many people through frisbee and I really adore my team (in case you didn’t know, frisbee is kind of a big thing at Carleton– if you want it to be. Don’t worry, we won’t make you play frisbee if you come here).
6:00 – 7:00 – Dinner
I eat dinner usually in LDC, but occasionally we go to Burton (the other dining hall which honestly I think I like a bit better but it is a very contentious topic). After we are done eating, my friends have gotten into the habit of playing cards which has been quite fun. Though not everyone spends this much time in the dining hall, I have spent almost three hours in here sometimes talking, working, or playing cards (cards not provided by the dining hall, you have to bring your own).
7:00 pm… – Mini Bald Spot time
If you aren’t familiar with the term “Bald spot,” it references a giant green space we have in the middle of campus where various activities occur (such as ice skating and broomball in the winter!). As expected, our smaller section of grass by LDC is referred to as the mini version of its namesake.
With the strangely nice weather have been having (sunny and 80 degrees in April?), the mini bald spot has been quite full of students eating outside, tossing a frisbee, kicking a soccer ball, playing spike ball, drawing, or doing homework. Personally, I usually spend time just sitting in the grass and talking or throwing a frisbee with people, but I occasionally crochet or do my readings here too.
8:00 pm (not on Friday) – Homework in Anderson
In an ideal world, I have started my homework by 8:00 pm, and I shouldn’t have much because I spent some of my free time throughout the day doing some of my work. On Fridays, it is a bit different because of Convocation, but I usually have an hour or two each day to get a good head start on the work I have to do before dinner in between my classes.
Since today is Friday I choose to not do homework at night. I give myself the night to not worry about my school work, hang out with friends, watch a movie, go to a social, or do various other relaxing and/or fun activities.
12:00 am/1:00 am – Sleep
I usually try to be in bed around midnight or 12:30, but on weekends it tends to stray past 1…
In Conclusion
That’s what a Carleton day looks like! At least… kind of. None of my days throughout the week are quite the same, and each day has a different schedule! No day is quite the same, I haven’t even mentioned what lab is like for Paleobiology, or when I go to the Northfield food shelf for the CCCE on Thursdays. Each day brings something different and new, and no term is quite like the other!
Hannah is a sophomore majoring in Geology and minoring in Classics. Born and raised in Minnesota, she considers herself somewhat of an expert on MN winters. At Carleton, she fills her schedule with writing for the Admissions blog, working as a CCCE Communications Fellow, taking flute lessons, and increasing voter engagement on campus. When Hannah isn’t in class, she can be found tossing a frisbee with Syzygy, looking at rocks, reading, walking and skiing in the Arb, thrifting, and hanging out with her besties. Meet the other bloggers!