Everyone always told me that college would be different than high school – classes are harder, you have more free time, there are more events on campus, etc. Until starting college, I had no tangible idea of what it would truly be like. However, throughout my second semester here at Swarthmore, I began to settle into a daily routine.

9 a.m. – Time to wake up! As the sunshine is slowly but surely coming back, I’ve been sleeping with my blinds open and I’ve been letting the sunlight naturally peer into my room and wake me up. I still set an alarm just in case though! I’ll change into workout clothes and pack my bag for the day (notebooks, laptop, glasses, granola bar for a snack).

9:30 a.m. – Next, I’ll head to Sharples Dining Hall and grab a quick breakfast. My go-to meal is milk and Cheerios, a poppy seed bagel with cream cheese, cranberry juice, and mint tea with honey and lemon. Sometimes, I’ll make a rice cake with WOW butter and dried cranberries if I’m extra hungry.

9:55 am – Head to the Matchbox for a morning yoga class. Recently, I’ve been taking yoga classes every Tuesday and Thursday morning before class. It’s an invigorating way to start my days, and I immediately feel more alert and ready to start my busy day. In general, Swarthmore emphasizes a body-mind balance; if you’re not on a sports team, you’re required to take two full semesters of exercise classes. There’s a wide variety of options for all interests: bowling, tennis, running, yoga, dance classes, and more.

11:20 a.m. – After finishing up my yoga class, I have 15 minutes to walk over to the Science Center, where my Economic Poverty & Inequality class is held. I have this class twice a week from 11:20-12:35.

12:35 p.m. – Grab a quick lunch in the Science Center. The cafe in the common area has sandwiches, salad, sushi, and Chinese food. I typically go for the eggplant with garlic sauce and rice or California rolls.

1:05 p.m. – Time for my computer science lab! Currently, I’m taking the Introduction to Computer Science course, an introductory level course about using Python and Atom. While I’m more of a humanities/social science person, Swarthmore offers ample opportunities to practice interdisciplinary learning and interact with subjects that might not be in your initial comfort zone. While Intro to CS has been challenging and novel for me, the TA’s (we call them “CS Ninjas“) hold help sessions so there are many resources available when I’m confused about writing functions or working with for-loops.

2:35 p.m. – Back to my dorm, Wharton! Located next to the amphitheater, Wharton is one of the most desirable dorms on campus. I currently live in a quad with three other freshmen. I’m extremely close with my roommates, so we’ll usually spend a while hanging out, discussing our days, watching Big Little Lies (our favorite show at the moment), or doing Buzzfeed quizzes (if you’re curious, it’s been proven that my spirit cheese is brie).

4 p.m. – After relaxing with my friends, I’ll start some homework before dinner. I either study in my dorm room or I’ll go to the Science Center Commons, my favorite place on campus to work.

6 p.m. – Dinner time! My favorite dinners at Sharples are tortilla soup or pho bar.

7:30 p.m. – Back to work. I’ll either finish up some assignments, study for an upcoming test, write a blog post for SwatStories, or take notes on a topic for class.

9:00 p.m. – By 9, I’m usually back in my dorm spending time with friends before I head to bed at around 10:30 or 11.