There’s no doubt that we’re living through unusual times. College looks different than normal right now, though all of us in school right now are finding new patterns. Some things have become routine: receiving updates from the LC administration about COVID cases on campus (luckily, there have been very few, and no outbreaks!), joining Zoom classes from the kitchen island or my bedroom, and spending more time than usual staring at my laptop screen. It helps me to remember that this way of life is not permanent. I thought I would share a typical daily routine for me as a junior college student at LC living off-campus, and how I’ve adapted to (mostly) online school.
I usually wake up around 8 a.m. I start making coffee and oatmeal while my dog, Winnie, sleeps in. When she decides to get up I feed her breakfast, and then we take our morning walk in the cemetery near our house. Winnie has learned to walk off-leash, so she gets to run around with her dog friends at the park! Lately mornings have been really chilly, so I have to bundle up.
Winnie enjoying her morning walk.
On Tuesdays and Thursdays, which are my busiest days of the week, my Behavioral Neuroscience class starts at 9:55 a.m. This gives me plenty of time to get ready in the morning, especially since I join class via Zoom. Technically this class is hybrid, so some people attend in-person. I have an online class right after, and since it’s sometimes tricky to find a place on campus to do an online class, I just do both online. My second class of the morning is my capstone, Psychology of Sustainability, which starts at 11:40. Our class meetings are very discussion-based, so I like to listen, discuss, and multitask by making and eating lunch. That’s one benefit of being in online classes!
Ready for Zoom classes.
Right after my second class ends, I hop on my bike and head to campus. Luckily I live close to campus, so the ride is about 7 minutes. My work shift at the library starts at 1:30. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I work Summit shifts, where I process books coming in from other libraries that students have requested. I sort the books onto the hold shelf, and usually help with miscellaneous tasks if I finish early. I bike home after work, since I don’t spend much time on campus aside from when I’m working.
Shelving new books at the library.
In the afternoon, I take Winnie for a second walk and then spend some time working on assignments or my remote job. I work for a non-profit based in Wisconsin (my home!) I help with video editing, making social media posts and graphics, and porting website data. On a typical day, I spend time doing assigned readings for Spanish, working on my capstone project (which is now nearing 50 pages long!), and working on Behavioral Neuroscience lab projects. Most of our labs are virtual, except for a sheep brain dissection we did at the beginning of the semester. We’ve done a virtual neuron lab, rat lab, and now we’re conducting a survey about neuromyths.
I usually work until 5 or 6, when I start dinner (or order takeout). Lately I’ve been lazy! One of my favorite places to get takeout is Saburo’s sushi in Sellwood. There’s also a Pakistani food truck in Hillsdale called Desi Licious that has amazing tandori chicken!
I live with four other roommates in an off-campus house, so in the evenings most of us usually work on classwork in the kitchen and living room together. Depending on our schedules, we’ll sometimes watch a show or movie together after dinner, or play a game. My evenings/nights are really the only time of the day when I don’t feel the need to be constantly working, so I enjoy journaling, watching Netflix and tiktoks, or playing games.
That’s about all I do in a typical day. My Mondays and Fridays are less busy, so I’ll sometimes do more work at my remote job, go for a hike, or make a grocery run. While I miss how engaging in-person classes can be, I’m enjoying the flexibility I have with online classes, working remotely, and living off-campus. There are lots of opportunities to spend time outdoors or get around the city, though I do miss being on campus! I look forward to spending more time on-campus again when it’s safe to do so!
Feel free to reach out with any questions: calebweinhardt@lclark.edu