(Ramadan: the month when Muslims fast from dawn to sunset, no food, no water. It’s a test of patience and discipline, but also a month of community, reflection, and very, very satisfying dinners. This year, it was from late February to late March.)
10:30 AM
My alarms have been going off every two minutes for the past 20 mins. None of them have worked. I finally check the clock. Oh no, it’s 10:40 AM! Class starts in 15 mins. I grab my laptop, throw on a hoodie, a pair of mismatched socks, and hope I make it.
10:55 AM
I rush into Algorithms and Data Structures, sliding into my seat just as the professor says, “Alright, let’s pick up where we left off with linked lists…” My brain’s barely caught up, but my eyes are locked on the…
cold, frosty cups sitting on every other desk. Beads of condensation sliding down the cups. Ice cubes clinking every time someone takes a si–
“Rania, what is an abstract data type?”
11:30 AM
I speed walk to Intro to Psychology, still thinking about those iced coffees. I sit down, open my laptop, and the first slide of lecture pops up:
“Hunger Cues and the Brain.”
We’re learning how just seeing or smelling food can trigger the brain to release dopamine and make you feel hungrier. I’m sitting there thinking, Cool. So basically, my entire morning has been a psych experiment… and I’m the subject.
1:15 PM
Painting 1 class. Three hours long. Normally, this is my favorite part of the day. But right now? Hunger and sleep have taken control. I’m mixing paint, trying to focus, when I notice the perfect, buttery yellow forming on my palette. Mango. Then egg yolk. Then butter on toast.
I flip open the Cézanne art book for inspiration. Big mistake. The page is full of still-life paintings of fruit. Grapes, oranges, apples. Every single one looks so smellable and edible.
My art professor Mariel leans over my shoulder, and goes, “That’s a nice yellow you’ve got there.”
“Thanks,” I say. I’d eat it if I could.
4:00 PM
Its 4:00 PM!
Classes are done! I run back to Parrish hall (my dorm) and collapse into bed for the best nap ever.
6:45 PM
I wake up, its time for iftar! (The evening meal when Muslims break the fast after sunset.)
The MSA (Muslim Student Association) iftar is already buzzing when I walk in. The smell hits first: rich spices, sizzling oil, fresh naan. Tonight it’s Pakistani food. On other nights, it might be Mediterranean, Ethiopian, or even a mix of dishes cooked by students themselves.
8:00 PM
Iftar and socializing are done. Now it’s time for homework. I grab a vanilla cold brew from the Science Center Café, toss a pack of beef gelatin gummies into my bag, and head to Cornell Library.
11:00 PM
Bed time.
4:00 AM
Suhoor time (pre-dawn meal). Alarms. So many alarms. My roommate and I set them two minutes apart. She ends up shaking me awake anyway. I eat oatmeal, yogurt, and fruit salad with my eyes half-closed, then crawl under my warm blanket, grateful that I don’t have classes the next day.
